


Variations on a Theme

by Rakuyou_Tenshi (Citrus_Luver)



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Age Difference, F/M, Father-Daughter Relationship, Kink Meme, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-03
Updated: 2018-09-06
Packaged: 2018-09-21 17:05:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 28
Words: 44,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9558674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Citrus_Luver/pseuds/Rakuyou_Tenshi
Summary: Kirk and McCoy are destined to be together.  Except in this universe, it's not Jim and Leonard, but Jim and Joanna.Or...The one where Jim and Jo have a no string attached relationship, and Bones doesn't find out until Jim accidentally knocks her up.Or...The one where Jim thinks he's going to a special place in hell because he's fooling around with his best friend's daughter.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a prompt from the old Star Trek XI kink meme community on LJ found [ here ](http://st-xi-kink-meme.livejournal.com/8704.html?thread=7586560).

Jim Kirk wonders sometimes if there is a special place in hell for people like _him_.  People who fool around their best friend’s daughter.

Logically, he shouldn’t have let it happen to begin with.  He should stopped it before it even started.

But he hadn’t.

Because she wasn’t the little girl that Jim met over a decade and a half ago on that bright Georgian summer day with the missing front teeth and long strands of jet black hair tied in long pigtails with pieces of ribbon.

The one who thought her daddy hung the moon and the stars.  The one that called him Uncle Jim with a slight lisp mixed with Bones’ Southern drawl.

The one who on the night they were due to leave made Jim promise that he would bring her daddy home to her safe and sound.

And maybe there is an universe where Jim stayed only as her beloved Uncle Jim.  An universe where Jim is helping Bones chase away all her suitors with their granddaddies’ old rifles.

But in this universe, the one this Jim lives in, Bones and Joanna had drifted apart.  Two five year tours mixed with shorter jaunts in space does that to any relationship.

There came a time when Joanna grew up and became more interested in hanging out with friends than waiting for her daddy’s next irregular intergalactic transmission where at best they could receive a fuzzy, delayed image and a half way coherent sound byte.

As a result, after a while, the distance had eventually gotten so large that Jim forgot Bones even had a daughter.  

Bones never mentioned her, and Jim never brought her up.

Because there was a part of it all that made Jim feel guilty.  That it was his fault Bones never saw his daughter because Jim had been the one to convince him to take a posting on a starship.

So when Jim had gone to that conference on Alpha Centauri, a conference that Bones had convinced him to come with and then cancelled at the last minute.  

_“Carol’s sick.”_

_Carol and Bones…_

He hadn’t seen _that_ coming.

They had bonded over mutual interest in research.  Carol’s terra forming project had taken off to the next step that involved introducing live organisms to the equation.  Then eventually tied the knot in a small ceremony after their final jaunt through space, when Jim finally took that promotion to admiral, and Bones as head of Starfleet Medical.

Because he had already put in the hours, he decided to go anyways.

_Big mistake…_

The conference was full of over eager cadets and green horn officers who had just gotten their stripes.

He could just picture if Bones had come along how much complaining he would have made about the false advertisement.

As a result, when he found himself in a bar, after a long day of socializing and presentations that made his brain want to dribble out of his ears, looking to relax, the thought didn’t even cross his mind when a pretty girl with long jet black hair and bright green eyes in a form fitting blue evening dress slipped into the stool next to him.

She had long thin fingers, fingers that Jim checked didn’t have any signs of a wayward wedding or engagement band.

He knew better than to go after a taken woman.

He watched as she ordered a glass of bourbon on the rocks in an accent just short of familiar.  Maybe had Jim not been just on the other side of tipsy, he would have been able to recognize it.

Instead he smiled his Kirk smile, the one that brought troughs of women of all species to their knees and proceeded to woo her.  “What’s a fine young lady like you doing alone in this part of the galaxy?”

The talented eye roll and eyebrow raise that followed next should have tipped him off.

Mixed with the ‘are you kidding me’ look…

But it was almost immediately replaced by a smile that rivaled his own.  The one that brought shame to even the brightest of suns.

“Same as you, mister.”  She answered in that silky smooth voice with that hint of an accent that Jim couldn’t place.  

That smile was still on her face.  

He offered to buy her next drink, and she countered by offering to buy his next drink.

And somehow by the end of the night, he was taking her back to his hotel room.

She was beautiful.  

She was stunning.

Jim knew because he had seen a lot of bodies over the years.

She had a perfect hourglass figure.  A tiny waist that fit neatly between Jim’s hands as he pulled her against him.

As Jim peeled off her dress revealing a pair of pump, rosy red breasts, he felt himself hardening against the folds jeans.

That smile was back on her face.

“You like?”

“God yes,” he muttered as he pushed her into the bed, that big gigantic king size bed that he traded with the two queens he had previously booked when Bones was coming.

That smile was back on her face.

Her bright green eyes danced and sparkled in the moonlight.

Like a pair of emeralds.

He hadn’t realized he had said it out loud until she rolled her eyes.  “You going to take me, mister or admire me?”  She asked while lazily drawing circles into his back.  

He answered by quickly kicking off his jeans.  

She was tight and so, so wet when he burrowed inside of her.  They fit together so perfectly, like a key into its lock.

Suddenly he felt like he was sixteen again when he came within seconds after sliding home.

It was because it wasn’t sixteen that he managed to hold it.  

He wasn’t going to do that to her.  

Despite popular belief, Jim Kirk wasn’t selfish in bed.  

He always made sure his partner was equally satisfied.  

When he heard her moan and felt dig her fingernails dig deep into his back, when her body curved upwards as he exploded inside of her, he knew he had succeeded.

He was almost disappointed when she didn’t stay the night.

Not that he did it either when it was on the other side of the equation.  

“I don’t do that,” she said simply, as if she could read his name, while she zipped up her dress.

And _that_ Jim had thought would be the end of _that_.

She was like an angel from Cloud City.

A girl whose name he didn’t know.

A girl Jim thought he would never see again.

He went back to that bar every night when he was on Alpha Centauri.  

And it definitely was not because he was hoping she would show up, because he wasn’t.  It just had a decent selection of all the drinks he liked.

He ended up not seeing her again.

And when he came home, the first time he told Bones was about this amazing girl he had met.  And proceeded to ask Bones why he decided to get tied down with one girl again.

Because he couldn’t understand why Bones did _that_.  

Settle with one when there was a sea of girls out there.

However a few weeks later when he gone to London for a meeting, he ran into her again.

And Jim was treated to another exciting night.

This time they exchanged comlinks.  She showed up as a simple ‘JM’ when he registered her.

_In case you’re in the neighborhood._

And he thought that would be that.

However when he took his next trip off planet, he did message her with one simple word, “Rigel.”

He was surprised when she responded with a hotel name and number.

And that was that.

Somehow Jim Kirk entered into a casual relationship with a girl who couldn’t possibly be older than her early twenties, whose name he didn’t even know.

A relationship founded totally on pleasure.

Pleasure found in hotel rooms around the galaxy.

It was clear she wasn’t looking for more and neither was he.

Of course Bones just rolled his eyes when he described in great detail about his latest escapades.

And maybe in a different world it could have stayed like that.

Jim and his mystery girl…

Where she was only a mystery girl.

However then summer ended and fall came roaring and raging in with it, it’s cooler weather and bright red and yellow leaves.  

Jim isn’t sure if it was due to an administrative accident or from malice intent from someone who hated him, but he was assigned to teach Introduction to Tactics.  A class designed to give first year command track cadets a taste of what the next four years and possibly their entire career would entail.

However from Jim’s own experience haven taken the class and later TA’d it, he knows the class is really meant to weed out average from the geniuses.  By the end of the first week, half the class will have dropped out and of the ones that do stay, only a handful will ever make it to the end.

So he’s definitely not looking forward to the first morning of classes...

He spends the night before with a visiting ambassador’s daughter and leaves afterwards with a passing thought that it wasn’t as good as when he’s with his angel from Cloud City.

So he comes to class drunk on coffee and an energy booster he had conned from Bones, who looks equally flustered and nervous.  

He thinks it’s because of Carol’s news that she’s pregnant with his and Bones’ first baby.  They had been trying for a while without much success.

It’s because of that, that he doesn’t really look at the cadets in the room.

That he doesn’t think when he calls out the name ‘Joanna McCoy,’ because there is no way it can be Bones’ daughter.

Because McCoy is a popular last name and Joanna is an equally popular first name.

However when she answers ‘here’ in that voice that he does recognize, with that accent that he finally does recognize.

There is only one thought that comes to mind…

_Bones is going to kill him._

He is going to that special place in hell.

He kind of wants to crawl up into a little hole and die.  He doesn’t because a room full of bright eyes cadets, one of whom is Bones’ daughter, Bones’ twenty-two year old daughter who he has been having sex with and then proceeded to tell Bones about in great detail, are staring expectantly at him.

Because he is James Tiberius Kirk, who doesn’t believe in no win situations, he does the only thing he can do.

“This is Introduction to Tactics...”

He starts talking.


	2. Chapter 2

“You really didn’t know, Uncle Jim?”  She looks like she’s going to laugh.

Being called ‘Uncle Jim’ sounds so wrong now, so horrible because now he has to merge this girl, this woman, this gorgeous woman, with the little girl that called him Uncle Jim so long ago as one person.

 _No!_  

He wants to shout.

He wants to know if she knew.

He wonders if it’s a McCoy gene, that all McCoy’s can read him like a book.

“I didn’t the first few times either if that helps.  It wasn’t until I contacted Dad, and he showed me his wedding picture.”

_Dad._

_Bones is going to castrate him._

“Can’t believe he got married again.  Carol seems nice.”

“She is.”  He responds because his brain has turned into jelly.  

“They want to have lunch.  Says they have big news.”

_The baby…_

Bones won’t kill him because then he’ll have to go to prison and…

Jim feels he’s foundering.

Because in reality, Bones is a genius.  He’s such a genius that he can probably kill him in a way that won’t leave any traces.

“I don’t want to stop.”

His mind does explode at that moment.

“What?”  He manages to sputter out.

“It’s clear you like it.”

_God._

And that is the problem, he does like it.

“We’re both consenting adults here.”

_That is true._

“We both understand it’s purely for fun.”

_True._

_Wait!_

He can’t.  

They can’t.

And for some reason he can’t come up with a good excuse, _reason,_ definitely reason to end it.

So he says the first thing that comes to mind.

“I’m your teacher.”

It sounds so laughable.

Because of all the reasons, in this situation, that really is the least of Jim’s worries: what the brass, then again he is the brass, will think.

She does that eyebrow raise again.  The one that should have clued him in all those weeks ago.

“I can take a different session.”

She says it so easily.  And in a different world he should be proud, proud in a way that as her Uncle Jim should be, proud that she’s going to make an amazing captain someday.  

Because she will…

Because two days later, he lets Jo into his apartment.  

She looks upset but she’s trying to hide it.  He recognizes it because it’s identical to when Bones tries to hide when he’s upset.

They have sex, and for once she spends the night.

Later he learns from Bones that she hadn’t taken the news of the new baby well.

And that is all they say about it.  Jim doesn’t even bring up why Bones didn’t even tell him Jo was attending the Academy.

Jo does transfer out of his class.

And the sex continues.

But now that he knows it’s Jo, they do have conversations.  Most times it’s Jo telling him about her teachers, her classes, her friends, and Jim tells her about his day, about some annoying meeting he has.  As much as he can under his confidential agreement.

But there is one thing that they don’t talk about.

_Bones..._

He keeps telling himself it needs to stop.  That he’s going to hell.  

At first it’s just once every two weeks, then every week....

Then every other day…

Then one night when Jim is balls deep inside of Jo, they are both on the cusp of coming, Jim gets a com.  

He doesn’t answer it.

Then Jo’s com goes off.

And unlike his, hers announces who's calling and words ‘Leonard McCoy’ is being announced.

And he wonders how he became that guy.  The one that causes Jo to lie and tells her dad she’s studying at a friend’s house.

And then his own com is flashing, a message from Bones.  He reads it the same time he hears it from Bones’ own mouth through Jo’s com.

_Carol lost the baby._

_It was a little girl…_

_At twenty weeks she just wasn’t viable._

He responds back with a “I’m coming right now,” the same time Jo says it.

In their rush, they don’t even think about leaving at different times or taking different routes.  They rush to Starfleet Medical to find Spock and Uhura already there.  Uhura has her arm draped around Bones, who just looks so lost he doesn’t even acknowledge him or Jo.

However Spock does notice them and because Jim has known for Spock for years, he recognizes the eyebrow raise he gives them.  

_He knows._

“Dad.”

Jo’s voice breaks him out of it. It’s about Bones, and Carol, and Jo, not about him.  

He watches as Bones gets up.  How he clings like a lifeline to his daughter.  He watches as Jo helplessly runs circles through Bones’ back.  He watches as she leads him back to his seat.  He’s barely listening as Bones explains what happened.

“It was so sudden.  She was fine.  They were both fine.  We had just gotten back from shopping for the baby, baby clothes, baby toys, a crib.”  Bones is rambling.  “It has to go.  All of it.  So much blood.”

Jim finds himself not being able to listen anymore.

He gets up suddenly.

Uhura glares at him, but Bones doesn’t even notice.

He can’t do _this_.

He paces the hospital halls.  

“Uncle Jim?”  He feels Jo snake her fingers through his.

He bites his tongue to keep himself from telling her not to call her _that._

Bones had called them when they had been fooling around.

_It needs to stop._

“They just said Carol is stable.”

“That’s good.”

He feels Jo press up against his side, her heat, her sweet scent….

_They have to end it._

“That’s good.”

She’s shaking.   She’s clearly upset.

Jim looks down.  She’s crying.

“Jo?”

“It’s my fault.”  It’s so quiet Jim barely heard it.

“What you talking about?”

She’s definitely shaking.  Jim wraps his arm around her and leads to a bench.  The halls are mostly empty.  The closest nurse is far enough away she can’t hear them.

“Jo?”

“I didn’t like it.  I was upset that Dad was having another baby.”

“Jo.”

“I know it’s illogical, but…”

“Joanna McCoy.” Jim tilts her chin up.  For once, he sees that little girl in her eyes.  “It’s not your fault.  Things like this happen.  It was no one’s fault.  You hear?”

Jo bites her lip.  

She nods.

“Good.”  


XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

For the rest of the week, he spends his time with Bones, teaching and his admiralty duties.

_Carol is feeling better._

_She wants to try again.  We’ll going to try again._

He doesn’t see Jo once during that time.  

He still doesn’t know why Bones didn’t ever mention Jo was attending Starfleet Academy.

His curiosity eventually gets the best of him.  

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Bones raises his eyebrow.

“What you talking about?”

“About Jo.”

“What about Jo?”

“Her coming to the Academy.”

Bones’ eyebrow raises even more.

“What you talking about?  I did.”

“When?”

“Last spring, when we went on that fishing trip together.”

_Right._

He barely remembers much from _that_ trip.  

Then on Friday night, his door bell chimes.  He opens it to find Jo standing outside his door.  She’s not wearing her cadet clothes.  She looks angry.

He barely has time to welcome her in before she has her tongue down his throat.  Her scent is intoxicating.  

They do it hot and fierce over Jim’s kitchen table.  

“I hate my roommate.”  She says as Jim pulls out of her.

“Why?”

“She found a dermal barrier in my trash can and went off on me that I’ll burn in hell for losing my virginity before marriage.  She’s so twentieth century.”  Jo slips off the table.  She walks naked over to Jim’s alcohol cabinet.  

She sways her hips tantalizingly at him.  He suddenly wishes he didn’t have a god damn refractory period.

She draws out a bottle of whiskey and two glasses and walks back to him.  She pours them each a large serving before passing one to him.

“Thanks.”

He’s learns a while ago, since that day at the bar on Alpha Centauri that Jo has a strong alcohol tolerance.

Like Bones.

“Brutal.”  

“Think you could get me a room change?”  She drapes her leg around his.  She feels her heat against his.  

He feels himself hardening.

He could, but then what would that set.  “Jo, you know I can’t do that.”

She laughs.

He looks at her.  

She throws back the rest of drink before she slides into him, so thick and wet.  As she rides him hard, she buries her lips against his ear.  “I knew you would say that.”

There is a gleam in her eyes that he’s not sure he likes before it slides away as she rides him harder.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

Two days later he gets a message from her.

It’s the name of a dormitory that most definitely isn’t Jo’s, a number that looks like a room number, and a time.

He shows up because he’s curious.  Jo opens the door.  She’s in a large sweater and a pair of pink lace panties.  There is a smile on her face as she pulls Jim inside.

He recognizes it immediately as a single.

“What did you do?”

“You wouldn’t do it for me, so I hacked it.  Like you did.”  She stresses the ‘you’ and looks at him expectedly.

He swore he never told her _that._

“Come on it was obvious.”  She says easily.  

“You should still make up with your roommate.”

“Ex room mate.”

Jim looks at her.

“Fine.  You’re so like Dad sometimes, you know that?"

He lets her keep the single for the rest of the semester.  


	3. Chapter 3

“Dad’s inviting us both to spend Christmas with him and Carol,” is the first thing Jo says when she walks into his apartment.

Jim freezes.

Jo laughs.

“I saw him writing you a message.”

His com pings at that moment. 

He looks at her.  He doesn’t understand why she doesn’t think about when Bones will find out.

“Relax, he won’t.”  Jo says easily.  He’s starting to actually believe she can read his mind.  

She pressed her body against his.  His own body reacts immediately to hers.

Like it always does.

“What about your mom and…”  He grasps for the name of Jocelyn’s new husband.  He had only met the guy in passing, years ago, when Bones took him to Georgia.  

“Clay.  They’re off world.  On their next social work project,” Jo wrinkles her nose.  

_Right._

He had forgotten.  

It had taken him a while to merge the new Jocelyn with the one who had taken everything from Bones after the divorce.  He wonders if Bones ever got used to the idea, not that he cares anymore.

He stops thinking when Jo kisses him.

That tantalizingly sweet kiss.

The one that is sending him straight to hell.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

He shows up at Bones’ door with presents and a Yule log on Christmas Eve.  

“Uncle Jim!”  It’s Jo, in an extremely ugly Christmas sweater who answers the door.  She’s all smiles as she takes the Yule log from him and invites him inside.  

“Dad’s trying to get the tree to light up.”

He hears a “God fucking damn it!” echo through the halls.

“It’s not going well.”  Jo rolls her eyes.

Jim isn’t surprised.  In all the years he has known Bones he can’t recall any Christmases when he has set up a tree.

“Jim.”

Carol beams at him from the kitchen as Jo leads him to the living room, not that he needs help getting around.   

He’s surprised by _that._  Carol rarely, if ever, cooks.  In fact, he always figured Bones was the cook in the relationship.

“Carol.”

“Jim brought a Yule log.”  Jo announces as she sets it on the table.  It’s already getting cluttered by the amount of food on the table…

It looks like it can feed an army.

It’s definitely way more food than the four of them can possibly consume.

“Damn it!”

“Jim, could you?”  Carol shots a look at Bones, who had been completely covered by the large Christmas Tree.

Jim nods.  He sets down the presents before walking over to the tree.  

“Bones?”

“Confounded thing won’t stay still, should have gotten a holo tree.”

Bones appears from under a limb. He’s covered in pine needles.

“But holo trees don’t have the smell, Daddy.”  Jo curls up on the floor, an amused look at her face

It’s clear Bones is putting in the effort for Jo.

They managed to get the tree up and lit, and Carol and Jo both help with the decorating.

“Perfect!  It’s so lovely Daddy.  A tree and honey glazed ham…”

Jim sees the smile suddenly fade from Bones’ face.

“It’ll almost be like we’re in Georgia.”

“Jo, Carol and I got to run an errand.”  

He’s still a little confused as he watches Carol and Bones dash out of the house.  Jo doesn’t look confused though as she disappears down a hallway.

He shakes his head and settles into Bones’ couch.  He picks up one of his books.

“Uncle Jim.”  

Jim looks up from his book.

“Uncle Jim.”

He sets down his book and follows the sound of Jo’s voice.  He finds her on Bones and Carol’s bed.  

She’s only in her bra and panties.  

“Jo no.”   Jim crosses his arms as he walks into the bedroom.

“Jo yes.”

He is not doing it in Bones’ marital bed with Bones’ daughter.

“Come on.”  She crawls over to him.  

That smile on her face.

“It’ll be fun.”  She draws circles over his chest.

“Your dad will be back soon.”

“No he won’t. He sent me a message that they are stuck in line.”  She picks up her com and shows it to him.

There is a twinkle in her eyes.

“You did it on purpose.”   The realization suddenly dawns on Jim.

“What you talking about?”

“The honey glazed ham.”

“I do like honey glazed ham.  But,” Jo pops open his belt buckle.  “I like you better.”

“Jo.”

He feels himself hardening as Jo kisses him.

“It’ll be fun.”

_God damn it._

She draws out his penis.  It’s already seeping from need.  

“You know you want it.”  She whispers.  She pulls him onto the bed.  “Think of as an early Christmas present.  No takies backies.”

Jim rolls her onto her back.

There is a slight flush on her face.  Her jet black hair frames her face.  Her bright green eyes shimmer in the fading sunlight that filters through from between the blinds.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”  Jim mutters back as he captures her lips into a kiss.

Like always, like the first time they did _this,_ he slides easily inside of her.  He fits inside of her like a perfectly sized glove.

He thrusts into her hard and swift that it rattles the bed.  He licks and sucks on each of her nipples, hardening them into two swollen hard mounds.

She moans.

Her pretty green eyes dilute.

She’s like an angel.

And he…

He is so going to hell as he cums long and hard inside of her on Bones’ bed.

They share a shower, and Jo gives him a blow job.  It’s amazing, and he’s a little embarrassed by the sounds that comes out of his lips.

He makes a mental note to return the favor at the next possible moment.

And he wants to kick himself for _that._

They finish showering, reset Bones’ bed and are on the couch when Bones and Carol return.

They definitely don’t talk about what just happened.

It turns out Bones hadn’t just invited him.  Spock and Uhura arrive at six with their two year old son Selik, followed shortly by Scotty, Chekov, Sulu, Ben and Demora. Chapel and Roger come a little later followed closely by M’Benga.

Both Selik and Demora have grown like wildflowers since Jim last saw them.

Selik is almost an identical double of his mother minus the ears.  He has an adorable pair of Vulcan ears and a slight lisp.  Jim can’t help but melt when the little boy says, “it's illogical,” to him.

While Demora has grown into a lovely teenage, a definite blend of Sulu and Ben’s best features, who definitely hero worships Jo.

The invitees round out with two additional families that Jim has never met.  Carol introduces them as her research partners.

They are all very British.  Even their kids, they each have a boy and girl.  Jim finds them dull and way too perfect.

He wonders if they are brainwashing Bones.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

“I don’t want to go to London.” 

It’s Christmas morning.  Jim had spent the night.  He wakes up to find Jo and Bones sitting across from each other at the kitchen table.

He thinks about walking out again when Jo grabs his arm and pulls him into the unoccupied seat next to her.

Bones doesn’t seem to even realize he’s there.

“But you love London.”

“But it’s you and Carol’s first time going as an item.”  She crosses her fingers.  “I don’t want to be the third wheel.”

Bones raises an eyebrow.

“It’s true.”

Bones looks torn.   Jim can tell Bones hadn’t thought of it like _that._ “I don’t want you to be alone for the holidays though, especially with your mom off world.”

“I won’t be.”  Jo smiled.  She glances at Jim.  That gleam is back in her eyes.

_Fuck no._

“What you mean?”

“I got Uncle Jim.”  She flashes him her pearly whites.

He sees Bones’ eyebrow raise.   

“I don’t…”

“Can I stay with you, Uncle Jim?”  She twists her foot around his under the table.  She rests her hand on his thigh.  She runs a line across his inner thigh. “Please.”

_No._

“If it’s okay with your dad.”  He finds himself saying.

He’s going to hell.

Bones looks between them.

_He knows._

“If it’s not going to be a bother.”

“Thanks Daddy!”  Jo beams.

He regrets his decision two days later when Jo shows up at his door.  She has a bag with her that she drops on his floor.

“Dad doesn’t want me to spend the rest of the holidays alone.”

Jim closes his mouth.

“You can have the guest room.”  He picks up her bag.  It’s heavier than it looks.  “What do you have in here?  Bricks?”

“No, books, Uncle Jim.”  Jo rolls her eyes.

“Books?”

“I’m not just a pretty face.”

“No, course not.”

Jim definitely knows she isn’t.  He’s only heard great things about her from other instructors at the Academy.  She’s top of her class and on track to graduate in three years.  There are already rumbles about whose ship she will serve on.  There is no doubt that in a few years she will captain a star ship, not for the circumstances surrounding his raise to captaincy, Jim wouldn’t have bet against her on getting her captaincy before him.

He regrets it even more when he finds her in the kitchen as naked as her name day the next morning cooking breakfast.

She smiles as him.  The one that means all forms of trouble for him.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

He has always known she has other partners.  They aren’t exclusive to each other by any means.

Their relationship is simply sexual.

However when he returns to the apartment late after a long day at the office.  

He hadn’t even expected to be able to leave the office that night.  He had even com Jo to tell her to not expect him home for the night.

The sounds echo from the spare room, the one Jo hadn’t slept in once since her arrival, immediately shakes him to alertness.  He recognizes those sounds.

It’s the exact same sounds she makes when he slides into her.

It’s then he notices the trail of clothes leading from the couch to the bedroom.  He grabs a bottle of his hardest brandy and settles into the couch.

He hears her give a shout.

A strangled sound and then silence.

He’s on his third shot and just north of sober when the bedroom door opens.

A muscular form stumbles out.  He is a redhead.  He’s young.  

Much younger than Jim…

He’s not sure why, but he suddenly doesn’t like it.  The idea of boys being around Jo.  He suddenly feels over protective.  Like he’s itching to find his granddaddy’s old rifle.

He watches as the boys picks up his clothes from the floor.  There is a sock right next to Jim’s foot.

Jim watches as the boy reaches for it.  He stares at the boy.  His hand rests on his chin.

“Admiral Kirk,” the boy squeaks in an octave higher than he is capable of.  Jim knows because he knows this boy.  He’s a third year command track cadet, top of his class.  Jim has taught him in a few courses already.  

“Cadet Stevens.”

“I… I…” He stutters.  

Jim almost feels sorry for the boy.

But the key word is ‘almost’.

“I… I should leave.”

“You should.”  Jim says simply.  He almost laughs when the boy trips over his own feet on his way to the door.


	4. Chapter 4

“Did you have do that?”  Jo asks.  She’s in a silk floral robe that barely reaches to her mid thigh.

_Yes._

“He isn’t good for you.”  Jim says.

The glare in her eyes tells Jim that was the wrong thing to say.

“You’re such a hypocrite.”  

“Your dad left you in my charge young lady.”  Jim retorts.

“My dad doesn’t want me to spend the holidays alone, not for you to babysit me.”  Her eyes are blazing.  “I haven’t needed a babysitter since I was six years old, not that you would know.  I’ve taken care of myself since I was thirteen, not that you would know that either, Uncle Jim.”

She calls him _that_ with such spite.  Jim wonders if she’s going to walk out right now, and he won’t ever see her again.

“And I definitely, definitely don’t need _you_ of all people to tell me what guy is bad for me.”

She looks exactly like Bones at that moment.

Angry and annoyed with him that Jim has to do a double take.

She turns on the balls of her feet.

“Where you going?”

“Bed.”

They don’t speak of that night.

By the next morning, Jo seems to have forgotten about it.

In fact, he wakes up to a warm mouth wrapped his cock.

He’s not sure where Jo got her skills from, not that he’s complaining.  She has an amazing tongue and an equally amazing ability at reading Jim’s responses to know exactly what to do.

He comes with a strangled cry.  He never thought he was loud in bed until he met Jo.  

She smirks.  There is a tiny dribble of his cum leaking from the side of her rosy red lips.  If he could, he would come again as she runs her lips suggestively over it.

She kisses him.

She tastes like him, that slightly bitter, tangy, musty taste.  He’s about to flip her on her back when she stops him by him pushing away.

“Nu uh.”  

“No?”

“Not today.  Today I’m going to make you feel good.”  Jo mutters against his ear before she sits up.

It’s then that he notices there is a tiny bow over her lady parts with a little tag on the end.  It’s looped through a piece of jewelry that he doesn’t recognize.

“Got it done this morning.  Borrowed Dad’s regen.”  She adds before he can say anything.  

He doesn’t know how she does it, but she can definitely read his mind.

“Go on.”

She’s perfect.  She’s beautiful and at this moment _his_.

It doesn’t matter who else she sleeps with.  Because now, she’s his.

He picks up the tag.

In perfect, meticulous calligraphy are four simple words…

_Happy birthday Uncle Jim_

He looks up.

His eyes wide.

“Happy birthday, Uncle Jim.”

She says the words she had written.

“Since Dad’s not here…”

Jim presses a kiss on her lips.  He doesn’t want to talk about Bones.  He doesn’t want to think about Bones.

He pulls away from her and tugs at the bow. It gives away easily.  She’s beautiful and wet and ready for him.

He groans as he slides inside of her.  As he thrusts upwards and feels a cool metallic surface touch his tip.  It sends a slight shiver through his spine.  

He freezes.

“Something different,” Jo mutters.  She breaths against his earlobe.

He lets out a moan as Jo moves them.

He finds her rhythm.  

He thrusts and rolls.  

The objects heighten the experience.  Jim finds himself coming long and hard inside of her.

He’s gasping from the sensation.

Jo laughs, like bells in the summer breeze.  “Too rough for you, old man?”

Jim responds by rolling her over on her back.  He kisses her.  

“Never.”

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

Spring comes with its flowers, fresh leaves, birds and Jo’s twenty-third birthday.  She had been a spring baby, born on a particular wet and muddy day.  

He has heard the story many times of how Bones had almost delivered baby Jo on the back bed of his daddy’s truck.  He was twenty-two years old and half way through med school.  

The truck had gotten stuck in the mud when Bones had tried to take a shortcut through old man Winters’ field of honeysuckles and rosemary.

Baby Jo hadn't wanted to wait while her daddy tried to get the truck unstuck.  It was only because Winters’ wife had forced her husband to go check on the pigs that they found them.  

Sheer luck had gotten Jocelyn to the hospital in time, and Joanna Honey McCoy had been born kicking and screaming into the world.

All fifty two centimeters and four kilos of her with a tuft of jet black hair like her daddy.

However at twenty-three, Jim could tell she wasn’t interested in birthday parties.  In fact, she is about as excited for her birthday as Jim is about his.

Bones who is currently decorating his whole house for Jo.  Jim had arrived at the crack of dawn.

“It has to perfect.”  Bones stresses when Jim hangs up the streamers a millimeter too far to the left.  Jim holds his tongue because he doubts even Spock would notice.  He _knows_ Jo won’t care.

“He’s been like this all week.”  It’s clear Carol is aspirated and at her wit’s end when she corners him in the hallway when Bones had set him to the attic to pull down more chairs.

Their latest round of fertility treatments hadn’t gone well.  

They are having a falling out.  Bones wants to stop.  That maybe it is not meant to be while Carol doesn’t.

He doesn’t know how he became the mediator that Carol and Bones both go to.  

He’s just glad he and Carol never got very far.  They had decided very early on they weren’t going to work.

He finds Bones fussing with the banner when he returns with the chairs.

“Bones.”

“Jim.”

He looks at him with _that_ look.  The one that Jim has learned to recognize over the years.  The ‘I don’t want to hear it, Jim’ look…

He’s almost glad when the rest of the guests arrive.

At least Jo looks surprised when she arrives.

It’s then Jim catches a glimpse of the kind of captain she will become.  

He sees she can and will make captain.  She’ll probably even make a better captain than he ever was.  She has the diplomacy down flat.  She navigates with an ease through the crowd.  She knows exactly how to get a chuckle, how to get a smile, how to break the tension.

She handles her birthday party with a grace that he never had.  

She’s a force to be reckon with.

“Thanks Uncle Jim.”  Jo tells him half way through the party.

He turns to her, confused.  

“For stopping Dad from hanging up my baby pictures.”  She says as she fills her plate with noodles.

“‘Course.”

He had seen the first run through of the slide show Bones had put together.  It involved a lot of naked baby Jo in the bath giggling.

He is surprised she shows up as his apartment that night.

It is obvious she is drunk on life and alcohol.

“Want my birthday present,” Jo slurs her words together as Jim leads her inside.  She slides onto his couch like she belongs before kicking off her boots.

“Jo.”  He starts because she’s drunk.

She grabs his shirt and pulls downwards with a force that surprises him.

She’s getting stronger.  He can tell from the muscles she has accumulated.  He remembers seeing the formation of a six pack at her abs.

She presses her lips roughly against his.  “Want you.”  She whispers between kisses.

Kisses that makes Jim want to do a million horrible things to her.  A million things that is going to send him straight to hell.

He doesn’t do any of those things though because she is drunk.

Instead they kiss, and Jo laments to him that she’s getting older as they share a flask of bourbon together.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

Soon summer comes roaring in with its heat and humidity.  

And with it bikini season...

He isn't going to lie.  He loves to go to the beach and admire the female population run around in tiny pieces of spandex that leaves little to the imagination.

It’s one of the best things about being back on Earth.

He doesn’t have anything against alien girls, but there is something about human girls that gets him a little more excited.  He guesses it’s nature’s self preservation.

“Uncle Jim, catch!”

A gigantic rainbow colored beach ball comes barreling at him.  He manages to catch it at the last second before it knocks over his drink.

On the other side, he sees one Joanna McCoy running towards him, in her tiny white bikini.

Jim won’t lie.  She looks amazing.  She is already starting to tan.  A litter of tiny freckles are starting to appear along her shoulder blades.

He’s a little disappointed that Bones had thrown a fit with her original choice.  

“Play with us Uncle Jim.”  Demora beams from behind her.

“Yeah Jim, the kids are ganging up on us.”   Chekov calls out.

Jim holds his tongue.  He’s not going to mention that Chekov is technically only eight years older than Jo.

Or that Jo is almost as old as Jim had been when he first met Chekov, and Chekov was about as old as Demora is now.

He doesn’t like to be reminded that he is growing older.  Just this morning he had found another strand of grey hair in his hair and his beard when he decides to grow one is coming in a third grey.

He’s turning the big four oh in a few months and is all sorts of freaking out about it.

“Come on Uncle Jim.”

He gulps down the rest of drink before bouncing upwards.  “You’re on.”

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

She’s like a mermaid moon bathing in the cliff.  Her legs her pulled to her side.  Her hair matted to one side.  She’s in a white dress.  She looks like she’s lost in thought.

He wonders if he should leave her alone.

“Hey.”  She calls out to him.

“Hey you.”

Jim walks up and sits down next to her.

“What you doing out so late?”

“The walls are definitely paper thin.”  

“Oh.”

“Yeah, definitely don’t need to know about that side of Dad and Carol.”  Jo pulls a face.

Jim doesn’t say anything because he _knows._  He had been Bones’ roommate, and he can say with a hundred percent certainty that Bones is definitely loud in bed.  

“Oh, oh right there Len.”  She sounds almost exactly like Carol.  “Faster.  Faster.”

He can’t help but burst out laughing.  Jo quickly follows.  When the laughter dies away, Jo looks pensive again like how he found her.

“Something else bothering you?”

Jo sighs.  “I get my posting soon.”

_Right._

He made forgotten since Jo was taking the fast track too.

He doesn’t want to spoil it, but he has some ideas of which captains are going to offer her an assignment.

“Worried?”

“A little.”  She draws her legs together.  “Because of dad, you and everyone else.”

Jim tilts his head.

“People are already saying I have such a high rank because of who I know, what my last name is.”

He understands being George Kirk’s son.  It also didn’t help he didn’t even take the entrance exams.

“That’s ridiculous.”

Jo sighs.  “I know _that._ You know _that._ I just don’t…”

“Ignore them.  Prove them wrong.”

“Like you did?”

“Something like that.”

Jo slides up against him.   She’s hot and sticky from the heat.  “Thanks Uncle Jim.”  She smiles before standing up.  “I want to go for a swim.”  She says suddenly.  She pulls off her dress to reveal the bikini Bones had vetoed earlier that day.

“What?”  His mind suddenly misfires at the sight before him.

“Come on.”  Jo laughs as she drags him into the ocean.  He stumbles after her.

The water is still warm.  

It’s calm and peaceful.  The waves lap around them.

Jo lets out a squeak when a rogue wave crashes over them, drenching them in sea water.  Her hair sticks to the side of her face.  Her eyes sparkle like a pair of emeralds.

She’s beautiful.

She’s glorious.

At this moment, she’s _his._

She meets him halfway.

She tastes of salt and bourbon.  She’s beautiful in the moonlight.

He’s suddenly glad Bones had vetoed her current wardrobe.

“Why’s that?”

He hadn’t realized he said it out loud.

“Because I’m not sure I want anyone else to see you like this,” he mutters.  He runs his fingers over her bikini strap, the tiny strap of fabric hiding her female lips.

“Possessive.”  Jo growls into his ear as Jim slides inside of her.

He thrusts inside of her as the waves lap against their bodies.  On the edge of coming, he throws his head backwards and sees the stars rain down on them.   He hears her whisper out a ‘Jim’ as she goes over the edge.

There is a part of him that realizes this is the first time she has said his name during sex.  And he likes it.

A lot…

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

And then fall comes…

Jim doesn’t even realize it is fall until he walks onto campus one day and sees a new class of Starfleet cadets, green as ever, walk around the campus.

Jo is in her second year but taking third and fourth year classes.   She also takes an assignment on a star ship.  One that she rightfully deserves.

As excited as she is, Bones is equally a mess.

“Space is disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence,” Bones rants to him.  The same words he had said to him all those years ago on that shuttle in Riverside.

He knows he similarly couldn’t be prouder.

Jim is also proud.

Especially when he hears how well she excels at her duties.

It’s then he realizes their ‘thing’ will have to end, probably soon.  He’s grounded while Jo is going to travel the stars.

He wonders if this was how young Jo had felt when her daddy left her on Earth all those years ago.

Luckily, assignments, teaching and trips kept him occupied.  And when his right hand isn't enough, finding an agreeable partner or two isn't difficult.

Of course he is excited when Jo comes back during fall break.  She is paler and thinner but excited and happy.  She gushed about her adventures and how she can’t wait to go back out there.

That night she shows him the star systems she has seen by connecting the spots on his back.  

And it’s almost like she never left.

Then she’s gone again.

It’s a week before Christmas, two days after Jo was scheduled to return that Bones comes to his office.  He looks awful, and Jim feels like all the air was stolen from him when Bones tells him.

_Jo’s ship was attacked by pirates.  Two thirds of the crew are dead._

The next twenty four hours feel like the longest in his life.  He feels like he hasn’t breathed until he sees Jo being rolled off the shuttle.  

A broken leg and cuts…

She tells them she was lucky.  That she had never been more scared.  He doesn’t know who is shaking more, Bones or Jo.

He visits her when Bones or Carol can’t.  He tells her it wasn’t her fault, it wasn’t anyone’s fault.  He thinks she actually believes him.

When he shows up on Christmas Day, she looks angry.  He has never seen her so angry before.

She kisses him.  She pulls out his cock roughly.  They do it hard and fast on the biobed.

Afterwards he realizes this is the first time in a long while he actually feels bad about it.

She never tells him why she was so angry.  In fact, he doesn’t even see her for almost two months afterwards.

He is surprised when it’s Jo’s roommate who answers the door for him.

He can immediately tell why Jo wanted a room assignment change.  There is no doubt she is an ‘Old Worlder’.

“Admiral Kirk.”  She stammers out and immediately salutes him.

“At ease cadet.”  

She barely relaxes as Jim walks into the room.  “Is Cadet McCoy here?”

“In the bedroom, Admiral.”

She looks nervously from the bedroom to the front door.  She’s clutching the straps of her bag tightly.  It’s obvious she was just about to leave when he arrived.

“Carry on Cadet.  I can find my way.”  

“Aye sir.”  She salutes one more time before hurrying out the door.

He finds Jo sitting against the corner of her room.  She’s in an overly large t-shirt that looks days old.  

She has her legs pulls up against her chest.  

She looks miserable.  There are dark bangs around her eyes.  She looks extremely pale, and there is a pungent odor in the room.

Most of all, she looks like she has been crying.  Her makeup has run down the side of her face leaving behind an angry trail of tears.

There is a reason he doesn’t do house calls, but Bones had called him.  He’s in London with Carol for their next round of fertility treatments, and he hasn’t heard from her in days.

They had finally reached a compromise.  They would try for another year.

Jim had promised to check up on her.  It was the only way to prevent Bones from taking the next shuttle back, which he can’t.  

He doesn’t know the details but he does know they are undergoing some very intensive fertility treatments.  None of the traditional methods had taken.

He doesn’t know much about baby making, but he does know stress isn’t good.  He promises to let Bones know immediately.

But seeing Jo in _this_ state.  He is worried.

“Jo?”  He calls to her.  He sets his hand on her arm.  It’s wet and clammy.

“Jo?”  He calls a little louder.   “Jo.”

He feels her flinch under his hand, like she’s trying to get away from him.

“Joanna.”

“Go away.”  It’s so quiet he can barely hear her.

“Jo?”

“Go away.”  She says a little louder.

“Sorry kiddo.  No can do.”

She looks up.  

“Go away.”  She almost growls at him.

“I told your dad I would check in on you.”  He wrinkles his nose.

“I’m fine.”

“You are anything but fine.”

Jim pushes open the blinds and pops open the window.  He hears Jo let out a curse before he hears a horrible retching sound. He turns to see Jo throwing up into the trash can.

He pulls back her hair.  

He tries the ignore the fact that she has already thrown up in it and doesn't seem to care.

He realizes this is the source of the smell.

“You are not fine.”

It’s clear she has been throwing up for quite a while now.

He picks up her PADD.

“What you doing?”  

“Making you an appointment at Starfleet Medical.”  

Jo grabs his arm.  “Don’t need it.”

“Like hell you don’t.  Your dad will kill me if I don’t.”

Jo makes a half snort, half laugh sound.

“What?”

“Nothing.”  She pulls the PADD free, turns it off, then sets it aside.

“I’m not sick.”

Jim looks at her.  “Then what are you?”

And then she says it.  

Two simple words…

Two words that changes everything.

It’s so quiet he almost doesn’t hear it, but at the same time she couldn’t have said it any louder.

“I’m pregnant.”


	5. Chapter 4.5: Jo's Aside

It wasn't that she had started out thinking she wanted to fuck her Uncle Jim.

She had never meant for _that_ to happen.  In fact when she first met him at that bar, she hadn’t known it was Uncle Jim.

She didn’t go looking up Starfleet officers.  In fact, for most of her life, she wasn’t even interested in Starfleet.  

It was there.  

It existed.

In fact, she was more interested in seeing the world and living her _own_ life, not the stars that as far away as could be for a girl growing up in Georgia.

It definitely was not some late teenage rebellion thing either.  Some need to get back at her dad for abandoning her at a young age by having sex with his best friend.

It was none of those things.

In fact, the simplest answer was simply just that she wanted to have fun.

She liked having fun.

She lived with the motto of 'you only live once, so no regrets'.

She helped that she never saw herself as a proper Southern girl.  And her mom and Clay had never tried to make her one.  

Most of the time they just left her to her own devices.

She never had a coming out ball.

She never had _the talk_ either.

It just wasn’t how Jocelyn Threadway worked.

The most she had was.

_“You know how it works, right?”_

_“Yes.”_

Because she had spent the summers on her grandparents’ farm.  She had see the animals birth their young.  She had seen them mate.  

Hell, she had even helped inseminated her Uncle Fred inseminate his cow one year.

She had even seen her older cousins do it when she was younger.

And that had been, that.

The simple fact was she couldn’t see the fun in monogamy, being tied down to one man, woman or whatever.  

It just sounded boring.

She only lived once.

So after college, which she finished early, she decided to see the world, the galaxy.  She wanted experiences.

She hitched rides on freighters, shuttles, whatever she could take with the smallest amounts of credits for the greatest distance.

Meeting Uncle Jim had been an accident.

In fact, she wasn’t even supposed to have been there.

The freighter she had booked a ride on was experiencing technical difficulties.  They had been grounded there until early morning.

She had gone to the bar to relax, get a drink or two.  She had never planned on having an one night stand.  She had never planned on meeting Uncle Jim that night.

Most of all, she had never planned on _liking_ it.  It should have been just an one night stand.  She never did repeats.  The universe had too many options and choices to need repeats.

But with Uncle Jim, it just felt different.

And it wasn’t because he was older.

Because she had done older, much older in fact.  

And it wasn't even because he was the best.  Because he wasn’t.  There were some species of alien that seemed to be built for it, made for it, bred for it.

Some reason doing it with him was different than anyone else.  It was like he knew exactly what she needed, how to make her feel good, how to make it fun...

And she kept going back for more because it was fun.

Because it felt good.

Great.

Wonderful.

She experienced a different kind of high even before she found out it was her Uncle Jim.

Because unlike the rest of her parents’ friends, unlike her friends’ parents’ friends, Uncle Jim was different.  Even when she had met him all those years ago in Georgia.  He had always treated her differently.

And most of all, he understood.

He understood the importance of having fun.

Of not judging her based on her life choices...

Of course with her life choices, she had always been careful, a hundred and ten percent careful.  She knew not to trust men when it came to birth control and protection.

If an accident happened, it was her body that would be affected.  

She wasn't the kind of girl who forgot to keep up to date on her injections.

She made sure to use a dermal barrier to protect against any diseases.

So when she first missed her period, she hadn’t thought much of it.  It wasn’t the first time.  She had never been regular.  And she was still recovering from her injuries.

The medicine and the trauma her body had gone through probably screw up her period.

She knew enough biology to know all these factors were at play.

But then she started feeling nauseated.  The smallest of things made her feel sick. Her sense of smell seemed to heighten.  She could discern between the different types of aliens from scent alone without seeing them.

That definitely wasn’t normal.

She knew _that_.

But still pregnancy was no where on her radar.  She hadn’t had sex in weeks.

In fact it had been her roommate who first brought up the idea.

“Your activities have finally caught up to you.”  She was smirking.

She reminded her of some girls from back home.  Girls that she had never gotten along with.

She rolled her eyes as she looked up.  “What you talking about?”

“You’ve been knocked up.  Bun in the oven.”

“That’s stupid.”

“No, little Miss Perfect is the stupid one.”  She clicked her teeth together.  “I know.  Seen it before.  They all got their due eventually.”

She had tuned her out at that moment when another wave churned through her stomach.   

But now that the idea had been planted in her head, and it didn’t help that her roommate kept giving her that look and miming a swollen abdomen when she saw her.  So inevitably, a part of her mind did go there.

So she bought that pregnancy test to prove her roommate wrong.

Except now as she sat on her toilet, the double pink lines blinked mockingly back at her.

She wanted to snap it.

But it wouldn't change her fate.

She was pregnant…

With Uncle Jim’s baby.

She didn't even have to _think_ about who the father was now that she knew she was pregnant.

It could only be Uncle Jim’s.

He was the only guy she had done it with recently to be a candidate.  In fact, she could even narrow it down to the exact moment it caused it.  

That night in Medical...

On Christmas...

When she had been annoyed that her dad had the audacity to ask her to consider a safer path.  

He, who had spent over decade in space on the Federation’s flagship, the most famous of ships and as a result the most dangerous.

And then she cried.

It was first time she cried since she was a little kid.

Because she was pregnant with Uncle Jim’s baby.

Because it was Uncle Jim.

Her dad’s best friend.

The hero of the Federation.

Who she knew couldn’t get caught in a scandal.  

And this… this was definitely a scandal.


	6. Chapter 5

He’s floored.

He knows he’s not Jo’s only partner, so maybe.

He really, really hopes it’s not his.

“Whose the father?”

The look Jo gives him.  The ‘are you kidding me’ look.

It’s all the confirmation he needs.

“Get out.”

And this time he does.  He leaves because he doesn’t know what to say.

He leaves because for the first time in James T. Kirk’s life,he’s afraid.  He’s afraid of what this means.

He comms Bones with two words ‘stomach bug’.  He has never felt more guilty.  

He feels worse when Bones responds back with his gratitude.  Like he can trust Jim.

And Jim feels all kinds of rotten.

He spends the rest of the night drunk and balls deep in a woman he picks up off the street.  He doesn’t even remember what she looks like.

Just that she isn’t Joanna.

The next day, he passes Joanna on campus.  He can’t help it when his eyes trails down to her abdomen.  

He knows he’s losing his mind.  Women don’t show this fast, but he swears she already looks like she’s showing.  That there is an obvious bump at her abdominal area that uniform isn’t hiding.

Like the buttons on her uniform are going to explode.  That the resistance is already present.

That her face is already getting rounder.  She's already developing that pregnancy glow that women have.

People will know.

People will talk.

He’s going to lose it all.

He’s going to lose his position.  He’s going to get court-martialed.  They are going to send him to a prison planet.

And Bones is going to kill him.

Bones is going to castrate him.

And he’s going to deserve it.

His mind races.

She’s only twenty-three.  She’s young.  She has a future.  She wants to be captain.

She can’t possibly want to keep it.

He counts the days and the weeks since they last did it.

He comes to Christmas Day.  That was almost ten weeks ago.

He finds himself researching abortion laws, facilities that can do it and the after effects.

He finds himself outlining and making diagrams of reasons why she needs to do it.

Because she does.

He has no doubt Bones will be on his side.  Not that they have to tell him.  Bones and Carol are still gone and will be untill the end of the week.

It’s an in and out procedure.

They have time.

He corners her as she’s leaving the library.  

She’s carrying a stack of books.  The dark circles are still present around her eyes that even a layer of makeup can’t hide.  When she sees him, she abruptly turns and walks in the opposite direction.

It takes all of Jim’s stamina to catch up to her.  He vaguely remembers she had been on the track team when she was younger.  

He catches her at the intersection because he has more years in San Francisco.  He knows the shortcuts.

“Jo.”

He needs to talk to her.

They need to be on the same page before Bones gets back.

“Go away.”  She hisses.  She step sides around him.  Jim grabs her wrist.

“Jo.”

“I’ll scream.”

She actually looks serious.  “They’ll believe me too considering the circumstances.”

He loosens his grip on her wrist.

He doesn’t understand how it has come to _this._

“Jo, can we talk?”

She looks at him.  She glares at him.  “Fine.  Talk.”

He looks around.  They have already attracted some unwanted attention. They aren’t on Starfleet property anymore, so it’s not as scandalous.  However Jim rather not risk it.  

“In private.”

“Fine.”

She follows him.  

They stop by a street vendor, and Jim orders them each a cup of apple cider and a sandwich for Jo.  She looks like she hasn’t eaten.

She surprisingly doesn’t protest.

They walk to a secluded park bench, away from humanity.

She sets down her books and starts picking at her sandwich.

He knows he’s staring.  He can’t help but stare at her abdomen.  He swears the bump is even larger today.  That she could be wrong.  That she’s further along than she thinks.

He looks away quickly when Jo catches him.

“I’ve already made an appointment.”

Jim looks at her.

“What?  I’m not stupid.”

She gives him that look.

The one Bones gives him a lot.

“You don’t want a kid.”

He opens, then closes his mouth.

Because he doesn’t know what to say about that.

_Kids…_

He never even thought about kids before.

Because he had once when another woman told him she was pregnant with his child.  By chance and horrible circumstances, nothing happened at the time.  But Jim had learned to be extra careful after that.

“It’s better this way.”

He wonders if he should talk her out of it when he had come to talk her into it.  Or at least make her consider it more.

He wonders why he suddenly feels so relieved.

He wonders if he should offer to drive her there.

“I’m taking a freighter.”

He opens his mouth.

“What?  You think I can do it here?  With Dad as head of Starfleet Medical?”

“Right.”

He hadn’t thought of _that._

“We both don’t want Dad finally out.”

He doesn’t disagree.  He wonders if Jo actually looks disappointed.

“When?”

“It leaves Friday after my last class.”

He tries to remember when her last class is.  

“I should be there by Saturday afternoon and return by Monday morning for class.”  She says it so easily.

“Where is it?”

“Not Federation territory.  I think they are anti Federation actually.”

He’s worried now.

Because he knows what is out there.  He knows the territories that are anti Federation.  Most are hostile lands.  Dangerous for a young woman of childbearing age especially with Joanna’s pedigree.

“I’ll come with you.”

Jo looks like she’s about to laugh.  She raises her eyebrow the same way Bones does.  

“Suit yourself.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

He shifts out all his meetings for the weekend and shows up at the spaceport before Jo. 

She shows up at the very last minute.  Jim almost start she had changed her mind.

She’s in a loose sweater that rides low on her collarbone and a skirt. She’s in a pair of tall black boots that makes a deep clunk noise as she walks.  

She looks at him once over before boarding the freighter.  

Jim doesn’t gain anything from it as he follows.

It’s an old shuttle, with at least a few decades of life on it.  It’s clear it has gone through many rough patches despite being cared for.

It’s clear that Jo doesn’t share Bones’ fear of flying.  She tucks her bag under her seat and straps herself into the jumper seat.  Jim takes the seat across from her.  They are joined by two couples.

Jo falls asleep before the safety debriefing even finishes while Jim is subjugated to hours of chatter.

He learns more about these two couples than he cares to know.

They are going exactly where they are.

Except they aren’t like him and Jo.

They are going there to create life.

By the time they arrive, Jim has a clearer picture of the place they are going.  It’s a family planning facility.

They ask about him and Jo.

He manages to avoid answering most of the questions and falls asleep halfway through the trip. He awakes with a creak in his neck and Jo standing in front of him.

The other two couples have disappeared.

“I almost left you here.”  Jo says.  She waits as he collects his bag.  

They have been dropped off in the outskirts of the city.  Jim can see sparkling transparent skyscrapers in the distance.  It situated in greenery and is new and beautiful, not at all like where they have been dropped off at.

Here it’s rocks and sand.  

He’s not keen on walking.  It’s far and hot.  He suddenly regrets his choice of clothes.  His leather jacket and jeans are sweating.

He turns to Jo who has pulled off her sweater.  She’s now in tank top.  Jim can’t help but notice how it accentuates her breasts.  He quickly looks away because that is one of the reasons they are in this predicament to begin with.

Jo doesn't seem to notice.

Just as he’s about to suggest looking for a ride, he feels a tug on his pant leg.  On impulse he reaches for a holster that doesn’t exist.  He hears Jo laugh as he looks down to find a strange brown alien that is half their size standing there.

“Ride sir?”  He gestures to a group of animals that looks like a relative of the camel.  “Ma’am?”

Before Jim can reject the offer, Jo has bounded forward.  “Thank you.  Aren’t they lovely, darlin’?”  She bats her eyes.

There is an uncomfortable twist in his stomach when she says _that_.

_Darlin’_

He hands over the credit as the alien’s partner, a near identical copy helps Jo onto one of the animals.

“Your wife is lovely.”

_Wife…_

“Are you here to be blessed by our gods that lives in the glass cities?”  The alien asks.  “The ones that gives life to all in the galaxy?”  Jim suddenly feels uneasy.  He looks over at Jo who seems completely enamored by the animal.

“Do not bother our guests, Son.”  The other alien saves him.

“Sorry, Father.”

He’s grateful the rest of the trek is quiet.  The journey isn’t as painful as Jim thought it was going to be.  It’s clear that Jo has a lot of riding experience with the ease she handles her animal.  It even leaves the handles in awe as she flies through the desert.

They arrive faster than Jim expected, to a very presentable and official building.  It’s prestigious and glistens from the blazing sunlight.

It’s surrounded by trees and bushes.  It’s almost like it’s situated in the middle of a park.  

However now that they are here Jim wishes he had asked more questions.  

_Does she want him there with her?_

_Does she want to do it alone?_

“You don’t have to come.”  Jo’s voice is so quiet he almost doesn’t hear it, but it’s loud enough that he can hear it.

It’s stops him.  By the time he has come to his senses that he should be there.  Jo has already disappeared through a pair of swinging doors.

Her hair swings back and forth.  She doesn’t once look back.  She’s never looked stronger.

And Jim has never felt worse.

He finds them a hotel for the night.  However, Jo doesn’t come back.

He’s thinking about launching a search party when she shows up minutes before their departure time.  She doesn’t say anything.

They are the only passengers.

Jim almost wished there were other passengers this time.

They don’t talk until they arrive back on Earth.

It’s then she says it.

Four words that changes everything...

“I didn’t do it.”


	7. Chapter 6

“What?”

He swears he heard wrong.  

Because there is no way that she didn’t do it.

He whips his head around so fast he hears a pop in his neck.

She flinches.

Jim realizes this is the first time Jo actually looks scared.  

They are attracting attention.  Jim directs them quickly away.  He leads her to his apartment.  He makes sure she is sitting down and not a flight risk before going to his kitchen.  

He passes his alcohol cabinet and digs out the tea that numerous visiting ambassadors have given to him over the years.

He watches Jo as he waits for the water to boil.  She looks like she’s staring into a wave of nothingness.

Her hands are shaking as Jim hands her the mug.  Her whole body is shaking as Jim sits down across from her.

“Joanna?  Talk to me.”

She looks at him warily.

“I know I told you I was going to do it.  But after we got there, after they gave me the tour.  Explained it to me.”  She twists her fingers around the handle of her mug.  “I couldn’t do it.  Not with all those couples in there wanting to have babies.  Not with Dad and Carol…”

She trails off.

Jim feels like a black pit has formed under him.  

“I couldn’t it.”

She says it again.  

The Joanna McCoy fire is back, and Jim can tell there is no persuading her otherwise.

“I’m sorry.”

It’s clear she is sorry.

It’s similarly clear she won’t change her mind.

“I know it’s stupid. That I shouldn’t do it, but I can’t.”  It’s the first time she places her hands on her abdomen.  “I couldn’t do it.”

“Jo.”

She holds up her hand.

“I know it’ll be difficult.” She continues.  “I know it’ll ruin my chances of captaincy.”

“Now…”

Jo pulls a face.  “You don’t have to sugar coat it.  They don’t give starships to people with families.”

Jim knows that’s true.

“And I’m not going to abandon my baby.”

_Like Dad did…_

_Like your mom did…_

“I going to do right by it.  It’s going to have a mom.”  

She looks at him, like she’s waiting.

Jim knows the correct response.

_I’m here for you.  We’ll do it together._

But he can’t make those words form in his mouth.

The moment passed.

“You don’t have to be involved.”

He hates how well she can read him.

“Nobody has to know.”

It’s an out.

The biggest out anyone has ever given him.

“You didn’t want it.  You didn’t want me to keep it, so I’m not going to hold you accountable.”

“Jo.”

“Can I go now?  I have class, and I need a shower.”

He can’t believe how easily she’s going on with life.  It’s something he thinks if he were in her shoes he could never do.

It would be easier to say yes.

Let her walk out of that door.

It’s not that he won’t not be around.

Because he will be.

He could be the cool Uncle Jim as opposed to...

He could be the cool Uncle Jim that he wasn’t to Jo.  The one that spoils the kid rotten, takes him or her to the zoo.

Not the one that fucks them to the moon and back and gets them into this predicament.

“What about Bones?  And your mom?”

“What about them?”

“If you do this.”

“Am Jim, am,” she corrects, firmly.

It’s the first time she has called him _that_ outside their illicit activities.  It’s not as good as when she did say it in the heat of passion.

He’s not sure he likes it.

“You’ll have to tell them.”

“Why?  I’m a grown, self sustaining adult woman.  I pay for my own things.”

“They’re your parents.  Doesn't that mean something?”

Jo sighs.  She sinks into the couch.

“They’re going to flip.  Dad especially…”

Jim doesn’t doubt it.

“He’ll probably rant and rave.  Punch his hand through a wall or something.  Threaten to neuter us both.  Send me to a convent or something.”

She says it in such a deadpan way like she doesn’t even care anymore.  Like she has accepted her fate.

Jim wonders why he hasn’t.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

Bones and Carol return beaming.  They look more in love than even the day they got married.  

They keep giving each other shy glances when they think no one is looking.

He’s pretty sure the world hates him when they finally announce the news.

It’s over dinner.

A small gathering for friends and family.  Jim isn’t sure how much longer he’s going to be included in that group.  

Carol is pregnant again.  

It’s going to be born in mid November, around the holidays.

Jim can’t help but look across the table at Jo.  Her face doesn’t betray anything.  She’s smiling.  She’s the first to hug Bones and Carol.

She's gushing that she can’t wait to be a big sister.

He wonders if the thought that the baby she is carrying is due before Carol ever crossed her mind.

He suddenly realizes Bones is going to be a father and grandfather within months of each other, and it’s all Jim’s fault.

It’s the only reason for how Bones doesn’t notice the now definitely noticeable bump around Jo’s abdominal region.  

Because now Jim is positive he isn’t hallucinating.

Jo is definitely already showing.

And being on cloud nine can be the only reason that Bones doesn’t notice the dramatic change in his daughter's figure.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

Jim has a thousand scenarios of what Bones’ reaction would be when he finds out. 

They all end the same way though… with Jim’s death, slow and painful.

He similarly has a thousand scenarios of how Bones would find out.

However the reality is different from anything he was able to come up with.

It happens two weeks later.

He’s late on his annual physical, not that that’s new.  However unlike on the Enterprise when Bones would personally drag him to Medical, here he just reminders, a lot of reminders from Starfleet Medical.

After the latest message that threatened to ground him, Jim finally dragged himself to Medical.

He goes when he knows Bones isn’t in class or has any scheduled meetings.  A time when it’s less crowded.

Starfleet Medical is located away from the rest of the campus.  He used to joke it was to lock away all the medical staff and students from the rest of the students because of all their scary equipment.

Because of how frequently he visits Bones in his office, he bypasses the front desk.  It’s why he doesn’t overhear the whispers at the nurses’ station.

It’s why he isn't warned before he strolls into Bones’ office.  He finds Bones cursing and raging. There is blood dripping from his hand and shards of glass on the floor under a sizable dent in the wall that hadn't been there previously.

“Bones?”

It’s the first time Jim has ever seen Bones like this.

“Get…” Bones turns and trails off.  His eyes widen for a moment.  “Oh.”

“Bones, what happened?  You’re bleeding.”  Jim chastises.  

It looks bad.

Bones looks down at his hand.  As if it’s the first time he has seen it.  He flinches.

“Bones, sit down, buddy.”  He moves Bones to the couch.  He’s getting worried now with how little resistance he is getting.  He collects the disinfectant, tweezers, and wraps before sitting down on the floor.  

Bones is muttering something he can’t understand.

He takes Bones’ badly mangled hand.  There are pieces of glass sticking out.

He pours the disinfectant on it.

Bones doesn’t even seem to notice.  

The blood flows off his hand and drips onto the carpet.

He had not considered _that_.

He hasty covers it with some wraps.

He feels a little bad with he pulls out the first shard of glass.  As he goes for the next, “give me that.  And get off the floor, it’s filthy,” Bones snaps at him.

Jim quickly compiles.  He sits down next to Bones.  He watches at how easily Bones extracts the pieces of glass and wraps his hand.  Like he has done it before.

Then it’s silence.

He hates it.  He picks up a piece of leftover wrap and starts picking at the seams.

“Bones,” he tries again.  “What happened?”

“She’s pregnant.  My little girl is pregnant.”

The wrap slips from his hand.

_She told him._

_Jo was right._

“What?”  He asks because it’s the correct response.

“I didn’t even know she was sexually active.  She’s just a little girl.”

He’s not going to mention she’s going to turn twenty-four in less than a month.

It’s clear Bones doesn’t need to hear _that_ right now.

“Pregnant.”  Bones says again.  “My baby girl is going to have a baby.”

“Bones.”

He feels him shake.  His eyes seem misty.

"She never even indicated she was in a relationship." Bones seems aghast.

Jim doesn't say anything.  Because this is dangerous territory.

He never thought about _that_.  Of course Jo would never have decided her sexual activities with Bones.

“Did she tell you? Do you know who…”  Jim doesn't know how to phrase the questions.

“The bastard who did it to her?”  Bones hisses.  The rage and spite is obvious in his voice.  He seems to be glaring at Jim.

Jim wonders if he should run.

“Yeah,” he manages to get out from his lips.  It surprisingly doesn’t come out as a squeak.

“Refuses to tell me.  Says doesn’t matter.  Says he’s not in the picture.”

Jim finds him relaxing.

“What kind of guy does that?  Not in the picture.  What kind of guy leaves a little girl pregnant?  When I find out…”

Jim whips his head up.  “Bones.”

“I can.  Got her blood sample.  Drug test Jim.  I found out cause my orderly thought he ran it wrong.  That Leonard McCoy’s daughter couldn’t be knocked up.  It’s almost sixteen weeks along Jim.  She’s massive, and I didn’t know.  I didn’t see it.  Thought it was a late case of the freshman fifteen.”

“Nobody wants to see their kid like that.”  

“No.”  Bones rubs his hand.  “Said she was going to tell me.  Swore she was.  She’s almost halfway through, Jim.”

Bones is raging now.

“She hasn’t done any prenatal checks.  Hasn’t taken any prenatal vitamins.  That baby…”

Jim feels his blood run cold. “I’m sure it’s fine.”

“You don’t know that,” Bones snaps.  “Nobody knows that right now.  What if it’s not even all human?  Interspecies pregnancies are high risk.”

At least Jim knows that isn’t the case.

“Is she just a month away from being half way through or is it shorter, longer?”

“Bones,” he sets his hand on his leg.  

Bones is working himself into a state.  He knows it can’t be good for him.

“You won’t though,” he says simply.

“Why do you say that Jim?”

“You won’t because she’s Jo, your daughter.”

Bones deflates.

“My daughter.”  He almost laughs.   “It’s no secret she wasn’t ecstatic when Carol first got pregnant over a year ago.  It’s no secret she and I never had the best relationship, any relationship.  I abandoned her Jim.  Me and Joce both.”

“Bones.”

“You can’t help and wonder if you did something wrong.  If you could have taught her better.  She’s so young Jim.  She has her whole life ahead of her.  I never wanted this for her.”

“I know.”  

He does because Bones has told him so during drunken nights.  That he and Joce had been young, too young and foolish.  They weren’t ready for marriage or parenthood.

He hates it.  

He loves his daughter, but he knows he made bad choices.

“Could you talk to her?  She always liked you.”

“Bones.”

He never felt this wrong before.

“Tell her there are options.  Many options…”

“Bones, I…”

“Please Jim?”

He could tell him that he already tried.  Hell, he even took her to a place to get it done.

Or he could tell Bones that he is the father.

That he did this to his baby girl.

Instead he says neither.

“Bones, I don’t think it would be… appropriate.”

“Of course.  Sorry, Jim.”  He flinches as he looks down at his hand.  Like this is the first time he has noticed it.

He flinches.

“I should talk to her.  Make amends. Made a mighty fool of myself.  She had all the rights to storm out after I broke that the mirror.”  He looks ashamed.

Jim knows Bones loves his little girl, that he will do anything in his power to make amends.  

He also knows that he will love his grandchild.

Jim doesn’t have any doubts about _that_.

He similarly knows Jo will want him to be involved because she isn’t cruel.

“That would be good.”

“Yeah.”

Jim leaves Bones with a mild sedative and asleep on the couch.  He sends a cryptic message to Carol to meet Bones for lunch.

Because she’ll have to know.

It’s while he’s leaving that he realizes because the confrontation, a loud one, occurred in Medical.

So of course anyone in earshot had heard, which includes cadets with big mouths and ears.

And since Starfleet, as much as Jim hates to admit it, is super competitive especially in the command track.  One where a single mistake could tarnish a cadet’s entire reputation, of course the news gets out like wild fire.

Before noon, the fact that Leonard McCoy’s daughter is pregnant is the talk of the Academy.

He hears it everywhere.

That she’s ruined.

That she’s a slut.

That she sleeps around.

That she only gets good grades because she uses her sexual appeal.

They want her expelled.  

They are calling it unfair treatment.

It gets ridiculous when a line of cadets are submitting claims they were coerced into sleeping with her.  

By the end of the week, it’s gotten so bad that the admiralty calls for an emergency meeting.  Jo, Bones, Carol and her line of accusers have been brought into the closed doors ‘hearing’.  Jim is thankful that it’s a closed door hearing as opposed to one with the entire cadet class like his own years ago when Spock accused him of cheating.

He knows it’s probably going to hurt him, but he can’t let this sink Jo’s future.  He knows they have no case against her, but he’s not going to chance it.  So he gets a seat on the counsel.

He shows up early.  A crowd of cadets has already gathered.  They are mostly command cadets, students he has taught these last few years.  He catches a glimpse of a sign one of them is holding.  It makes his stomach turn uncomfortably.

They are protesting against Jo’s actions, who hasn’t done anything wrong, or any more wrong than he has.

Jim has made sure to keep completely out of Jo’s academic career.

He takes a seat at the end.  He waits as the rest of the chairs are filled.  

Komack and Barnett arrive last.  

They are fair and just.  Jim knows that, but he equally knows that they see young cadets and officers as inexperienced with chips they need to prove.  Years ago, Jim had been on that side of the spectrum. It had taken years for him to prove himself otherwise.

“Cadet Joanna Honey McCoy, please come forward.”

He hears a chair grind across the floor in the back.  He sees Commander Tanners, her advisor, and Bones before he sees Jo.  

Tanners is young and brilliant.  He had progressed through the Academy fast.  A poorly timed accident in his first year had grounded him, but he has managed to produce many brilliant cadets over the years.  He’s flawless and one hundred percent gay.

He and his husband are expecting a baby boy soon via surrogate.  The department had thrown them a party last week.

She’s in her cadet reds.

Both Bones and Tanners are in their dress uniforms.  Their awards are plastered over their left breasts.

As she comes closer, Jim almost does a double take.  He hasn’t seen her in almost three weeks, but in this time, her abdomen has noticeably swelled.

It’s distended and juts forward, like she’s carrying a torpedo or watermelon.

She is completely emotionless as she steps onto the podium.  

“Admirals,” she acknowledges them.  She barely even looks at Jim.

“Cadet McCoy, you have been brought forward today due to grave charges that your peers have made against you.  Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

“I believe I have the right to face my accusers?”

“Yes, Cadet McCoy.  The floor calls Cadets Adams, Williams…”

The list is long.  A group of fifteen cadets, some in their fourth year, step forward.  Jim can’t believe he had written glowing recommendations for some of them.

“Your peers have claim you have been receiving unfair advantage.  That you have been offering sexual activities to get ahead.  Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

Jim almost sees a smile form on the sides of her lips.

“Admirals, fellow cadets and anyone else here, I’m sorry this has come to this.”  She sets her hand over her abdomen.  “I am not sure what is exactly the issue here.  The fact that my personal choices have caused an accident to occur.  One that I will bear the price of.  Or if there is a question about my competence as a cadet and soldier of the Federation.”

“I know all who is here knows and understands once we leave this establishment what we do out there is up to us.  A cadet is only as good as his or her teachers.  A cadet is only as good as his or her skills.”

“Lying and cheating always catches up with you.  In space, you need it all to survive.  I know, and I have never tried to game the system.”  She air quotes the word ‘game’.  “I feel my service and training missions have proven my skills and competence.  Numbers do not lie.  My field records do not lie.”

“Your argument is not unreasonable.”

Jim can tell there is a ‘but’ coming.

“However your accusers accuse you of having illicit relationships with your advisors and peers.  That is a grave complaint.”

“I believe this Federation is founded upon the principles of innocent until proven guilty.  Under present circumstances, it is obvious I can not deny the fact I have engaged in sexual activities.  However the Academy does not have any rules about fraternization nor is pregnancy prohibited among its cadets.  My pregnancy does not prohibit me from completing my classes.  I have already worked with Commander Tanners and my instructors to complete my remaining simulations and strenuous classes for the term prior to the end of my second trimester.”

“You seemed to have thought this out, Cadet McCoy.”

“I will not let this set me back, Admiral.”

“I do not deny your persistence.  However these charges are still present.  Of which they claim to know the identity of the child.”

Jim almost sees Jo smile again.

“That your child is the product of a liaison with one of your professors.”

“I can say that is unfounded and ridiculous.”

“Then you know the identity of the father?”

“I do.  And I can say it has no bearing on this case.”

“Then you will state the name of the father?”

“No sir.”

“Why not Cadet McCoy if it will exonerate you of your crimes?”

“Because their name does not matter.  To prove my point, I will gladly submit to any paternity test with any of my professors that they claim is the father."

She looks straight at her accusers.

She doesn’t once flinch.

And Jim…

Jim has never felt worse.

He doesn’t see her again for another week.  He gets a report on his PADD that Jo’s charges have been dropped.

The whispers start to die down, and pretty soon a new rumor has everyone’s attention.

And Jo is left alone to her devices.

He sees her sometimes walking across the campus.  They never make eye contact.

It’s another week.

A week of feeling awful…

Of drowning himself in alcohol and sex that he thinks he’s going to die from the guilt of it all that he sends Jo a message.

It’s three simple words…

_Can we talk?_

An olive branch of sorts.

He doesn’t even expect her to show up.

She does.

She’s wearing a maternity dress.  She looks tired.

Her abdomen is swollen and massive.

He lets her in and helps her onto the couch.  She doesn’t even protest.

“You didn’t tell him.”


	8. Chapter 7

Jim flinches.  He can’t believe he just said _that._  

“Tell them what?  That you’re the father?”  

Jim scratches the back of his neck.  He looks at Jo.  

She crosses her arms.  She couldn’t look more disgusted.

“Is this seriously what you want talk to about?  Why I didn’t them?  What did you want me to say?  Your best friend is the father of your grandchild?”

Jim cringes.

“Whatever.  Are we done, sir?”

“Jo.”  Jim pauses for a beat.  “I’m sorry.”  

“What?” That eye brow raise.  The one all McCoys seem to be possessed with.

“I’m sorry this happened.  I never meant it.  I…”

Jo blinks.

“I really am.”  He sinks into the couch across from her.  “I know it’s too late.  I know you want to keep it.  I’m here for you.  Whatever you need.  Now and after it’s born.”

She looks at him once.  Like she is judging her.

“Anything?”

“Anything.”

“Okay, then fuck me.”

“What?”

He swears he couldn’t have heard correctly.

“You said anything and right now that’s all I need.  It’s been weeks, and god I really need it.”

“Jo.”

“What don’t like pregnant women?”

It wasn’t _that_.

Hell, he had fucked a pregnant woman before.  He hadn’t known she was pregnant until the kid fucking kicked just as he was about to come.  

Then her husband gave him a black eye.

He just assumed Jo wanted nothing to do with him.

She’s already pulling off her dress.  She unclips a band across her belly, and it seems like her entire belly tumbles out.  

A belly that is made up of an angry web of lines.

“Finally.”

Jo groans.  She tosses the band to the ground.  “That thing sucks.  Dad insists it’ll help me from having back problems.  I think he just hates seeing me massive.”

Jo unclips her bra next.  He’s greeted by a pair of large swollen breasts.  Her nipples are hard and massive.  The area has darkened and enlarged to cover almost the entire area.

He doesn’t think he has ever seen anything more beautiful.

Because she is.

She is beautiful, and he did this to her.

He feels himself harden.

She cups the underside of belly and walks over.  

She pulls off his belt and pushes down his pants.  He groans as she straddles him on the couch.  

He immediately notices a difference as his cock slides home.  She’s wetter, more tender and engorged.

He grabs the side of her hips.

He rocks them…

He rolls them…

Jo moans.

Her breasts and abdomen sway as Jim thrusts into her, grinds against her.

She comes with a hard shudder which tumbles Jim over the edge.

It’s perfect.

It’s like coming home.

And he's going to hell...

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

He wakes up to sunlight filtering through his window.  He yawns realizing it was the best sleep he had in a long time.  He twists his neck and does a double take at the time. 

It’s almost one in the afternoon.

He can’t remember the last time he has slept this long.

He twists back around to find a warm body.  He sees Jo’s naked form twisted among a mass of blankets and pillows.  Her hand is placed over her swollen belly.

She doesn’t looks comfortable.  There are wrinkles on her face.

Jim can’t imagine it being comfortable.  

He paddles out of the room.  The sun is seeping into the living room.  It sparkles onto the trail of clothes littered across the floor.

It looks like a war zone.

The aftermath of their sexual escapades as he took Jo on the dining room table, the kitchen counter, over the couch and on the ottoman.

The thought causes him to grimace as he looks down at his penis.  

It’s still raw.

It's a reminder that he isn't as young as he used to be.

His stomach growls.  He’s sure Jo must be similarly starving.

He finds pasta, chicken and ingredients for a salad.  They are leftovers from the last time Bones came over for dinner.

He makes the food then returns to the bedroom to find Jo still asleep.  He feels guilty about waking her up, but it’s getting late.

He sets the trays of food on the dresser before walking over to the side of the bed where Jo is sleeping.

Her face is flushed.  She is breathing hard.   

“Jo.”

He gently shakes her.

“Five more minutes,” she mutters.  

“Come on, Jo.”  He pushes back her bangs.

“No…”

She’s like a little kid.

A little kid caught in a mess.

A horrible mess… his eyes trail downwards.  One of the blankets has shifted revealing her swollen belly.  It’s resting on a pile of pillows.  

He can’t help but touch it.

He pulls back when he feels a tiny flutter against his hand.

His child…

His and Jo’s child…

It’s growing inside of her.

It's amazing...

He places his hand back on the spot again.  He feels the tiny kicks against.

“Uncle Jim?”

He flinches and pulls back.  He feels like he’s been caught.

“What you doing?”  She rubs her eyes.

“Lunch, I brought you lunch.”  Jim says.  He walks over to the dresser and places the tray in front of her.

It seems to be the correct answer when Jo smiles.  “Thank god.  I’m famished.”

She is half way through her pasta when she looks up.  “What time is it?”

Jim looks at the chrono.  “Almost two.”

“Shit!”  Jo curses.

“What?”

“Dad made me an appointment with Medical today.”  She looks at him and pulls a face.

He wonders if he should offer to come.

“Dad says they are going to take images, so I can see the baby in its 3D brilliance.  Says I can know if it’ll be a boy or a girl.”

_A boy or a girl…_

_A son or a daughter…_

He knows in a different world he would be asking Jo if she wants a boy or a girl.  That they should be picking out names and clothes…

And a thousand other things...

Jo goes back to her lunch.

He’s not sure how he ends up tagging along in the end.  Carol and Bones are already there when they show up.

They don’t even question why or how he and Jo showed up together.

He is surprised Bones isn’t doing the examine himself.

That Bones is actually trusting his baby girl and grandchild’s health to someone else.

“Jo insisted,” Bones states because all McCoys can read his head as they enter into Medical through the front doors.  They watch as Jo checks herself in and comes back with a PADD.

“She insisted that I not be her OBGYN.”  Bones looks over Jo’s shoulder.  “Jo, your mom had developed gestational diabetes, and your grandma had preeclampsia.”

Jo rolls her eyes.

“Dad.”

Jim can already see why Jo had wanted a different doctor.

“Jo, it’s important.”

“I know, Dad.  You’ve told me.  I waited too long.  The baby could have a thousand genetic problems that we don’t about because I was irresponsible.  Are you done making me feel horrible?”

Jim looks at Carol.  She has her lips pursed.  Unlike Jo, she doesn’t look pregnant at all.  

However she has been having horrible morning sickness.

A symptom of pregnancy that years of medical breakthroughs haven't been able to alleviate.

“Leonard, you’re making a scene.”  

It’s the first time Jim has heard Carol snap at Bones.  

It seems to startle Bones equally as much.

“Just let her do it.”

It’s enough for Bones to not say anything else.  He wonders why Carol never did this before.  It’s clear Jo is grateful.

When Jo is called, they, their whole motley, ironic, crew, are led inside.  This is a section of Starfleet Medical Jim never has never been in before.

The walls are painted pink and blue.  There are cartoon animals plastered everywhere.

They are lead into a brightly lit room.  There are pictures of pregnant females of many different alien species.  There are detailed descriptions of the different locations the fetus implants at.  There is an infant and maternal growth rate charts for pure and hybrid children.

Jim has never thought about the schematics of interspecies breeding before now.

“The technician will be in shortly to do the biometrics then the doctor will see you.  Please change into the provided gown.  Here’s the container for the urine sample when you’re done just place it into the chute.”  With that the orderly left them alone.

Jim stands in the corner to let Bones and Carol take the seat.  He suddenly wonders why he came anyways.

Jo disappears with Carol into the back.  He hears shuffling.  The twinkle of liquid and then silence.  The door then opens as Jo and Carol come out.

Then silence…

Jo sits on the bed.  She kicks her feet restlessly.  

It’s why Jim hates doctors.  Because they make you wait.

He thinks forever has past before the door opens.  

“Joanna McCoy?”  The technician chirps.  “I see we have a crew here.”  

“Yes.”

“Let’s get some measurements.  Then we’ll get some pictures of the baby.  How does that sound?”

Jo nods.

It’s simple things, weight, height, ears, nose, mouth…

Jim feels like his brain is turning to mush.

Then…

“Ready to get some images.  This is the first time right?”

Jo nods.

She suddenly looks nervous.  For a moment, she looks at him. Then she looks away.  She unbuttons the bottom of her gown to reveal her swollen belly.

He feels his breath tighten as the technician spreads a green paste over it.  “Cold?”

“Yeah.”

“Ready?”

She nods.

The technician picks up her wand and places it over her belly, mixing the paste.

And then… then an image flickers to life in the center of the now darkened room.

An image so clear it’s like its actually there in the room with them.

The image of a baby…

A baby that kicks and moves…

“Jo.”  Bones breaks the silence.

They watch as it kicks it’s tiny legs.  Jo breaks out into a smile as it, her, her…

Jim corrects. 

Because it’s clear as day it’s a baby girl.

_His daughter…_

Then…

Then another arm appears…

A third arm…

Jo gasps as the technician moves the wand…

Upwards…

To reveal...

Another baby...


	9. Chapter 8

He hears Bones fall to the ground.  It’s what keeps him from fainting.

_Twins._

He could barely deal with one baby now there were two.

“Dad!”

Jo moves sideways.  The image shifts out of focus.  

It jolts him back to reality.  A reality where Jo is having more than one baby.  

He hurries over to Bones.  

“Bones, buddy?”

“Here.”

Carol stuffs a bottle of smelling salts into his hand.  He doesn’t question why Carol is carrying smelling salts.

His eyelids flutter open.

“Bones?”

“Jim, God it was horrible.  I just had a dream that Jo was…”

He trails off.

He pushes away from Jim and goes to Jo, who throws her arms around Bones.  

“Baby girl…”

“Daddy.”

“It’ll be okay, baby girl.  It’ll be okay.”

And Jim almost believes it too.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

Pregnant Jo causes fetishes that Jim never knew he had.

For instance a belly fetish, a pregnant belly fetish of all things.

But he does.

He finds himself coming long and hard to just the thought of Jo growing bigger and bigger with his children.

_His daughters…_

They find it the other baby is a girl too.  Of course Jo couldn’t be happier.  Two little girls to dress up like princesses.

To buy pink bows and little tutus for.   

Of course Jo notices.

Of course she uses it against him.

She comes around more often.  

They have sex.  

Lots of it…

Over the counter…

On the bed…

Against the wall…

In the closest of his office at headquarters…

He knows they should stop.  That if anyone catches them there will be repercussions.

And they do almost get caught, many times.  

He sees the gleam in Jo’s eyes.  Like it’s become a game to her.

He sees the signs that she doesn’t care anymore.  Her grades are slipping.  She starts skipping classes to come visit him.

She is on an one way train ride to disasterville, and Jim… Jim doesn’t know what to do to prevent it.

Because he has to do something.

He can’t just let her ruin herself, or more than he already has.

So he does what he hasn’t done since this first started.  

“Jo, we can’t keep doing this.”

She purses her lips and leans against the corner of his desk.  She’s here instead of in class.

“You said anything.”  She seems to be positively glaring at him.  He feels like his heart just tied itself into a knot.

“I did.”

“Then…”

“Jo, why are you doing this?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Your grades are slipping.  You haven’t been to class in weeks.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“What you talking about?”

She steps away from his desk and walks up to him.

“Are you _this_ delusional?  I ain’t ever going to make captain now.”

“You…”

“Jim, it's the truth.  I’m going to be a mom, Jim.  A mom to two babies…”  She holds up two fingers.  “Nobody is going to give me a starship.  I should just drop out.  Get a job.  Babies are expensive.  Be easier.”

“You can’t.”

“I can’t?”  She glares at him.

“I’ll…”  He closes his mouth because what can he do?

“Forget it.”  

He watches as she walks out of his office.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

The next day he meets Bones at the local coffee shop.  Bones had sent him a message asking him to come, which is strange.  He doesn't send Jim messages, not about meeting up.

It’s not something Jim and Bones does.

When he shows up, Bones is already there.  He has a stack of PADDs around him.  He looks like he’s reading something.

“Bones?”

He sees Bones jump, one of the PADDs slip off the table.  He beats Bones to picking it up.  There is a profile of a man on the PADD.

There is a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach.

“Bones, what is this?”

“Give me that.”  Bones grabs the PADD.

“Bones?”

“Jo’s husband.”

“What?”

Because there is no way Bones said what he did.

“Potential husband, I’m finding Jo a husband.  She can’t take care of the babies herself.”

“So you’re going to marry her off?”

“I ain’t letting my daughter be a statistic, Jim.”

“Isn’t that…”

The words dies on his tongue.

“Jim, I sat through a hearing where cadets at the Academy accused her of sleeping around.  Who knows how long she’s been doing this?” Bones shakes his head.  

“So she needs a man.”

“Or a woman or an alien.  It doesn’t matter.”  Bones snaps. 

“Bones, you can’t marry her off.  This isn’t the dark ages.”  

But even as he says the words, he wonders why a sudden uneasy feeling flows through him.

Because he might be able to dissuade Bones now, but someday, Jo really could marry someone.

Someday, his kids would call someone else daddy.

And Jim…

Jim realizes he didn’t like that.

He didn’t like that at all.

And it was then…

Like a cloud had lift, he realizes the best and worst thing that has ever happened to him.

He loves her.

He loves Jo.  

And the thought terrified him.

He has never loved anymore before.

And he can’t tell Bones or Jo.

So he goes to the next best thing.

“Spock, I need some advice.”

He can’t believe he’s going to Spock about this.  

Spock looks up from his PADD.

“Admiral.”

“This is off the record, Spock.”

Spock crosses his fingers together.  “Jim.”  Even after all these years, Jim can tell Spock has a hard time calling him _that._ “What is it that you require?”

_Keep Bones from killing me._

_Convince Bones to let me marry his daughter._  

_Convince Jo that I love her._

He looks at Spock and decides to not turn this into a hypothetical question.  That has never worked with Spock before.

“I did something stupid.”

“You fathered Dr. McCoy’s grandchildren with his daughter.”

Jim’s mouth drops open.  “How…”

“I have witnessed her performing fellatio on you.”  The tips of Spock’s ears turn green.  “It was not difficult to put two and two together afterwards.”

“Does…”

“I have not convey my observations to anyone; however, I must remind you that the closet is your office is not sound proof nor to be used for pleasure.”

“Noted Spock.”

“I have also surmised since you are still alive, and Dr. McCoy is not in prison, he does not know.”

“No.”

“I can not advise you on how to tell the doctor; however, I believe it would be wise to tell him, Jim.”

He doesn’t understand how Spock can still look at him the same way especially since he knows. 

“For you to tell him Jim and not someone else.”

He freezes.  He knows he should.

Because the truth would always be there.  The girls would always have his DNA.

“However, I believe you already know that, and that is not the reason you have come here.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“Then what is it, Jim.”

Jim falls into the chair across from Spock.  He takes a deep breath.

“I think I love her.”

Spock’s eyebrow raises upward.  It’s higher than Jim has ever seen it gone.  He wonders if it could fall off his head.

He coughs.

“Sorry, I had momentarily forgotten humans frequently freely engage in sexual activities when the emotions are not present.”

Jim thinks that’s the nicest way anyone has ever put ‘fucking around’.

“What prompted the change?”

“Bones is trying to marry her off.”

“Fascinating.”

“Spock.”

He looks at him.  “You actually love her, or are you just afraid someone else will?”

Jim blinks.

“I…”

“If you do not truly love her, do not hurt her further.  However, if you do love her, I believe you two have a lot to talk about.”

“Thank you Spock.”

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

Jim is surprised she actually shows up at his office.

She acts like nothing has happened.

Jim however feels like his heart is racing.  His brain is in a fog.

It’s the only explanation he has when he blurts it out.

“Marry me.”


	10. Chapter 9

Jim almost wants to slap himself.  He can’t believe he just said _that_.  

In his office, in the middle of sex, balls deep inside of her while she is on her hands and knees on top of his desk with her swollen belly resting on a stack of his overdue PADDs.

He feels her freeze underneath him.

He wonders if he should pull out.  Like always, she reads him easily although he’s not sure what she is responding to.  “Don’t you dare.”

He feels dirty and horrible when she rides him to his apex.  His sperm is leaking down her legs when she stands up.

“Don’t you dare," she says again.

“Joanna.”

He feels like he should explain.  Maybe even beg forgiveness for his slip.

“Marry you?”  She says it with so much spite.  “And what, be your secret wife?”

“Jo.”

“You don’t even have the balls to tell me you’re even come visit our kids.  Our daughters, they will be here in less than four months, Jim.”

“Jo, please.” He grabs her arm.  “I love you.”  He presses his lips against hers.  He feels the resistance as she pushes away.

She wipes her lips with the back of her hand, like she can't stand the idea of it. 

“Well, I don’t love you Jim Kirk.”  

She pulls on her dress and storms out.  

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

“She hates me, Spock.”

“Jim, is that…”

“She said it Spock.  I didn’t infer or anything.  She says she hates me.”

“Jim, if my knowledge of human females are correct, I believe they frequently say things they do not mean.”

“Oh she means it, Spock.  She definitely means it.”  Jim throws back a glass of whiskey.  Spock looks at him displeased.  This is why he normally doesn’t go to bars with Spock.  

Spock,who gets drunk on chocolate instead of alcohol, is the worst bar hopping companion, ever.

“She means it,” he laments again.  “Says she doesn't want to be my secret wife.”  He picks up his next shot of whiskey. 

His head feels like it's throbbing. 

“Wife?”   Spock actually sounds surprised.

“I might have accidentally asked her to marry me.”

Spock’s eyebrow shoots upwards.

“Jim, I believe you must win her confidence in you back.”

“And how do I do that?”

“What are her issues with you?  If you fix those, it would help."

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

He shows up at Bones’ front door the next day.  He’s in his best dress shirt and slacks.  He comes with the best Tennessee whiskey he could find.

“Jim?”  Carol answers the door.  

“Is Bones home?”

“In his study.”

“Thanks.”  He kisses her cheeks and walks in.  She doesn’t comment on the whiskey as she leads him inside.  “I’ll get him for you.”

“Jo.”

“What?”

He hadn’t expected Jo to be here.  He follows Carol to the living room.  Jo is on the couch trying to paint her toe nails.

Her eyes widen when she sees him.  

“Could you get some drinks?  Jim is here.”

“Sure.”  She closes the cap, but she doesn’t move as Carol disappears.

“What are you doing here?”  She asks because she already know.

“To prove you wrong.”

“What?”

“I’m going to tell Bones the…”

“Tell me what, Jim.”

When he hears Bones’ voice, when he sees him standing there…

Big and larger than life…

Hard muscles…

Broad chest…

That he’s managed to stand toe to toe with Klingons…

Jim feels his confidence drain away.

“Yeah, Uncle Jim.”  Jo looks at him.

“Jim?”

_You can do this Jim._

“It’s me.”

“What?”  Bones’ eyes narrow.

“The babies growing inside of Jo.  They're mine.  We’ve been fooling around for almost two years now.  It was an accident.  I…”

He trails off.  He sees the nerve in Bones’ neck pulsate.  Carol is ashen.  Even Jo looks scared.

When Bones opens his mouth, he readies himself for anything.

“Jim, can I talk to you outside?”

_Outside…_

Outside is safe.  Outside has witnesses.  Bones won’t kill him outside.

Bones doesn’t even wait for an answer before he turns for the back door.  He doesn’t look at Jo or Carol before he quickly follows. He makes sure to leave the whiskey behind.

Bones is standing in the middle of his lawn, under a large oak tree when Jim catches up.  The one they had been building a treehouse in for when the babies are old enough to enjoy it.

It's the first of many projects Bones had roped him into.

It's also the exact same place Bones had asked him to be his son or daughter’s godfather. 

Where Jim had said yes without thinking.

Jim wonders if Bones realizes _that_ and chose this spot for that exact reason.

“Why Jim?”  

He looks broken.  Not angry, just broken.  Like Jim had stabbed him repeatedly.  Then again, Jim thinks in a way he might have.

“There are thousands, millions of life forms out there, why Jo?  Why Jo?”

“I’m sorry Bones.  It was stupid.  An accident…”

“An accident?”  His eyebrow shoots upwards.  Jim can already tell that was the wrong thing to say.  “An accident,” Bones repeats icily.

“I didn't know it was her, okay?  I thought she was just some girl at the bar.”

“Just some girl at the bar.”  Bones repeats.

“I haven't seen her in ages.  I never thought she was Jo.  It’s not like you ever showed me a picture of her that isn’t when she’s six, Bones.”

“Now it’s my fault?”

“No!  That’s not what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean, Jim? She got pregnant less than six months ago.  Don’t tell me you didn’t recognize her at the Academy.”

“I…”

He doesn’t know how to explain.

How to explain why he did it.  Why he didn’t end it.  

“You’re going to marry her.”

“What?”

His mind is racing because there is no way Bones just said _that._

“You’re going to marry her.  You’re going to be responsible for your actions for once in your life, Jim.”  Bones steps forward.  He looks larger, taller than Jim thinks is possible.  “You’re going to treat her right.  You’re going to love those little girls that are going to be here in less than four months.  And that, Jim Kirk is the only reason I’m not going to end you.”

Jim senses the hatred.  It seems to engulf Bones.

“But she doesn’t want to marry me.”

“Well Jim, you better convince her otherwise.  You’re smart.”

He looks at him one more time and walks back to the house.  

“Dad?”  Jo sounds scared, frightened.  She looks between them.  Her eyes are racing.

“Not now, Joanna.”  He says.  The whole houses seems to vibrate when the study door slams shut.

Carol doesn’t say anything, but the rage in her eyes is evident.

Jo glares at him before stomping away leaving Jim alone in the living room.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

And that is how both Jo and Bones stopped talking to him.  

The next morning he receives a notification from Starfleet Medical that he has been transferred to another primary physician. When he tries sending Bones a message, it bounces back.

It's not like Jim should expect have anything else.

He understands this is Bones’ way of dealing with it. His way of telling Jim that he royally fucked up and isn’t about to forgive him anytime soon.  

Jim leaves it like _that_ because he trusts his friendship with Bones. That the years and the experiences are enough for them to weather through all this.

And if it isn’t, as much as Jim hates to admit it, he’ll accept it because of what he did.

However, there is a part of him that wishes it wasn’t like this, but it is.

The other McCoy, Joanna, is a completely different story.  He can’t just wait for Jo to come around especially not where they currently stand.  He goes to her room assignment.  He hopes her roommate isn’t there.

He knocks because he’s polite.

Of course Jo doesn’t answer.

“Cadet McCoy.”  He calls.

“She’s not there, sir.”  The cadet next door finally tells him.  “She hasn’t been back in two days.”

“Thanks, cadet."  He doesn't even know the kid's name.

He’s worried now.

He knows her well enough to know she isn’t with Bones.  

_Two days…_

His mind races to all the places she could be.  Under different circumstances, he would have checked all her usual haunts.  However the present Jo, the Jo who has started on a downward spiral wouldn't be in any of those spots.

He instead finds himself walking down the bay towards the archaic golden bridge spanning the waterway.  

Through the fog that is starting to form, he sees a female form standing near the rails.  The hover cars that pass by continue to rush on by.  

Her dress flutters up and outwards, forming the petals of a flower around her.

But even this far, Jim recognizes her.

“Jo.”  


	11. Chapter 10

“Jo.”  He grabs her around the waist. He pulls her back from the steep edge.  From whatever she is about to do.  She kicks and scratches his arms like a feral cat.  “Jo.”

“Get off of me,” she growls.

“Not unless…”

She stops fighting and looks up at him with those emerald green eyes.  She looks angry.  “Unless what?  Unless I agree not to kill myself?”  She asks.

“Yes.”

She looks away angrily.  “Why do you even care?”

“Because I do.  I love you.”

She laughs.  

“Do you even know what those words mean, Jim Kirk?”

He hesistates for a moment.  It’s enough for her to slip away from his grip.

“Just go away.”

“I won’t.  Can’t you understand I want us to work.”

“I don’t.”

“Why?”

“Why what?” 

“Why do you refuse to give us a chance.”

“There is no us, Jim.”  She points to him then her.  “There never has been and never will be.  You’re Jim Kirk.  The playboy of the Federation.”

He flinches at that statement.

“We don’t know anything about each other.  Half the time I'm your best friend's daughter and the other half some fun. This..." She motions at her swollen belly, "happened because we both wanted a good time.  I get that.  I accepted that when we started this.  It was fun, okay?"

Jim opens his mouth and then closes it.

“But just because I’m pregnant with half your DNA doesn’t mean we have to get married."  Jo rolls her eyes.  "Even if that’s what you and Dad thinks.  I know he wants me to marry you.  Now that he _knows_ it’s you, exactly like what Granddad insisted with him and Mom.”

Jim blinks, stunned.  He always knew Bones and Jocelyn had been young parents.  That Jo had been born in the early days of their marriage, but…

Bones and unplanned pregnancy had never even crossed his mind as a possibility.  Bones who always lectured him about being careful.

“He didn’t tell you _that_ , did he?”  Jo asks.  “That I was accident too.  That they got married because of me.  Their parents pushed. They were young, and they finally caved.  We all know how that went.”

Jim could only stand there like a fish out of water.

“Jim Kirk, speechless.”  Jo rests her hands over her swollen abdomen.

“They think I don’t remember.  The yelling, the fighting… it was bad.  Then one day Dad left, and the house was quiet.  I was almost glad, glad to not hear the fighting even though it meant I wouldn't see Dad as often again."  She caresses her abdomen.  "I mean there were other kids with divorced parents.  You get two of everything.  Two holidays, two birthdays... only my dad left and traveled the stars.  I don’t that want that for my girls, Jim.  Surely, you of all people understand _that_.”

He does.

When his mom was home, there had always been shouting and yelling.  He knows why she married Frank.  

To give him and Sam a family, a father; however, Frank just couldn’t handle taking care of two boys who wasn’t his own, who were the sons of a Federation hero.  

“It’s why he and Carol tries so hard to have a baby.  She wants to give him a second chance to not fuck up another kid.”

Jo takes a deep breath.  “Well I was the kid he fucked up.  The kid nobody cares about.  Mom and Clay replaced me or at least they tried.  Lucky me.  Clay is about as fertile as a mule and just as smart.”  She looks at him.  The way she had all those years ago in Georgia.  “Yeah, Kirstie and Tommy are definitely the mailman and the plumber’s kids.”

“Jo.”  He doesn’t want to hear about his best friend or his ex's’ dirty laundry.  He definitely doesn’t want to hear about it from Jo.

“I can’t believe Clay actually believes the reasons she comes up with.”  

“Joanna.”

“Okay, okay.”  She holds up her hand.

“Whatever your dad and mom did, they are still your parents.”

She looks at him incredulously.  “I can’t believe I'm hearing this from you, you who has daddy issues from here to New Vulcan.”

“Joanna.”

“What?”

“Then let me.”

“Let you what?”

“Let me learn about you.  Let me take you out on a date.”

Her eyebrow shoots up.  “A date?”

“Yes a date.  Let me prove to you I care.”

She steps closer, so close he can smell her perfume.  It’s then he realizes how tall she is.  That she is only half a head shorter than he is.  

What she lacks in height, she easily makes up in presence.  It feels like she’s boring into his soul.

“You can’t do this Jim.”

“Do what?”

“Act like Jim and Uncle Jim at the same time.  You can’t look at me like I'm six-years-old if you want this to work.”

Jim feels his breath hitch.  It’s more than she has given him this whole time.

"Unless of course you're into that sort of thing.  Then..."

She's beautiful.  She's funny.  She's smart.  

“Okay, Jim Kirk.  Take me on a date.”  

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

A date… 

Almost a week has gone by since Jo agreed to the date.  There is a part of Jim that believes Jo had only agreed to get rid of him.  To prove her point that they aren’t good for each other.

However Jim Kirk doesn’t believe in no win scenarios.  

Besides being captain, there is one other thing that Jim Kirk is good at, and that’s women.  He has always prided himself of that skill.

And he is definitely, definitely going to win Jo’s heart.

But a date…

Jim Kirk doesn’t date.

And this date has to be amazing.

Because there would be no do overs.

He knows enough about the idea of dates, dinner and a movie, but that was so, well boring.  So cliche and Jim Kirk doesn’t do cliche.

He also couldn’t take Jo rock climbing or something equally strenuous.

He is in his office staring out into the ocean when he realizes the obviousness of it all.

He can’t believe he hadn’t thought about this plan earlier.

He tells his secretary he’ll be gone the rest of the day.  It’s abundantly clear that he is going to owe her with the way she glares at him as he slips away.  That Kirk smile firmly planted on his face.

He makes it to the marine biology building and around back.

“JT.”

He cringed.  She always knows when he shows up.

“Dr. Taylor,” he fancies a smile upwards at the formidable woman looming over him.  Her lab coat billows in the wind.  She’s in her bathing swim.

“Not Gillian anymore Admiral?”  She hops down next to him.  

She’s a sight for sore eyes.  A fling that didn’t go anywhere.

“Gillian, how are you?”

“Better than you.”

He quirks his eye.

“I heard about Dr. McCoy’s daughter.  Poor little thing, it seems time still doesn’t fix everything.  What they did to her was ghastly.”

Jim nods.

“I sent my condolences.”  She pushes back her blonde curls.  “What can I do for you JT.”

“How you know I need something?”

“Why else would you be here?”  She counters.

Jim chuckles.  “Right, I…”

“It would have never worked.”

“Why?”

“I’m almost three hundred years older.”

“Right.”

“So what do you need?”

He takes a deep breath.  He prepares himself.  “I want to borrow your boat for a date.”

And she laughs.

She laughs so much she looks like she’s going to hurt herself.  Jim is half minded to just leave her there.  She finally stops and looks up.  “No really, JT what you need?”

“I want to borrow your boat to take a girl on a date.”

“Wow.” The grin on her face is large.  “What girl won your heart, JT?”  She nudges him.  “She must be something special.”

“She is.”

Gillian whistles.  “Wow.  You’re in love.”

Jim blinks.  “Yeah, but she doesn’t like me.”

“Really.  Well then, we got to change _that_ right up.  Give her a night, a weekend.”  Gillian claps her hand.  “Gracie, George and Hapo are back.”

Jim looks up surprised.  He hadn't known that.

“Gracie is with her next calf.”

“Well damn.”  He is happy about that.  Gillian links her arm around his and pulls him onto the boat.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

He’s in a polo shirt and trousers when he meets her.  She’s in a floral sundress and has tied her hair into a bun.  There are loose pieces that frames her face. 

“You look amazing.”

“Thanks.”  

“Ready?”

She nods and follows him to the street.  He hails a hover taxi  and shows the driver his PADD.  Jo raises her eyebrow but doesn’t comment as she slides into the backseat.  

They sit in silence.

He doesn’t know what to say for once.

The taxi finally pulls to a stop.  “The docks?”  Jo raises an eyebrow.

“You’ll see.”  He glides her past the boats tethered to the pier.  

“Your chariot awaits.”  Jim grins as the Stardust sparkles.  The lights that Gillian had put up shines.

Jo’s eyes widen. “You’re cute, Jim Kirk.”

“I…”

“That’s a good thing.”  She leans over and kisses his cheek.  He helps us onto the boat.  

“Where we going?”

“Wherever the wind takes us.”

Jo raises her eyebrow.

“It’s a surprise.”

“Well I do like surprises.”  Jim guides her to the front of the boat.  She watches him with an assumed look as he raises the masts and lowers the anchors.  He blows the horn causing Jo to laugh.  

“Really?”

“Aye, aye captain.”

For a second, Jim is transported to a different time and place.  When he and Jo were both younger and weren't in this mess.  When Jo first called him that, she had been the first to call him captain before he made captain.

“Jim?”  He smells her scent as she leans against him.  She’s hot and intoxicating.  He feels his trousers getting tighter.  

_No Jim._

“I think Captain Fine is excited.”

“Always,” he mutters as he kisses her. His fingers travel down her back.  She moans as she presses against him.  

_Fuck…_

He feels the tiny pulsating, persistence kicks of the babies.  

It breaks him out his hold.  He pushes away.  Jo looks at him confused.

“Dinner?”

“If you want.”  She winks before turning on her heels.  Her hips sway back and forth as she walks, her dress clings against her form.

What he wants is to fuck her against the steering wheel…

Hike up her pretty dress and fill her with his come and watch it dribble down her pretty legs.

_Big picture Jim… big picture…_

He takes deep breaths to get the image out of his mind.

He has to woo her, not fuck her.

He finds Jo standing at the entrance way to the dining room.

“Diner, Madame?”  Jim asks.

She jumps.  Her eyes are a little wide.

“Tu parle francais?”

“Un peu.  Pas seulement un garçon de ferme.”  Jim laughs.

Jo raises an eyebrow.  “Tu me surprends monsieur Kirk.”  She takes his offered arm and lets him lead them inside.  The food Gillian had recommended is slowly simmering under their lids.  

Like the gentleman he is, Jim helps her into her chair before taking his own seat.  He can tell his dinner choices are a success when Jo’s eyes light up.

After dinner, they dance together under the starry skies.  Out here after from the pollution, the stars are bright and twinkle almost as brightly as from the observation deck of the Enterprise.

Jim hums the old tunes he knows as they sway together.  There is a smile on Jo’s face, a different smile from the one he has gotten used to.

And he realizes…

It’s the most beautiful thing he has ever seen.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

“Jim?”

Her eyes widen as they swim towards them.  “Come here.”  Jim waves to her as he settles against the rim of the boat.  

She steps forward tentatively.  “Are they?”

“Whales?”  

Jim laughs when Hapo swims up to him and nudges his feet.  “Hey, little guy.”

“Little?”

“He’s a little under two years old.”  Jim looks up.  Jo is standing next to him.  “First whale born in this century.”

“Wow.  They’re beautiful.  Just like Dad said.”

“They are.”  Jim smiles before turning around.

“Want to swim with them?”

“Can I?”  

“Yep.”  Jim walks over to the crate and pulls out two wet suits.  The two he has borrowed from Gillian.  He puts aside the pointed look she gave him when he asked for one for a pregnant woman.  

The one that says ‘I’m not judging you but totally am.’

Jo laughs when Gracie swims up to her.  Jim wonders if she understands that they are alike.  That they both know they are carrying precious cargo.  She’s careful and almost protective of Jo’s swollen belly.

And before Jim knows it, the weekend is over, and they are docking back at the pier.

“I had fun, Jim.”  

He waits.

“See ya.”  She turns and walks away.

_Fuck._

“Jo.”  He shouts her name.  She doesn’t stop.  He runs to her and grabs her wrist.  “Jo.”

She stops and looks up.

“What did I do wrong?”

“What do you mean?”  She blinks.

“What did I do wrong?”

She laughs then.  “Seriously Jim?  I told you that’s not how love works.  You think just cause you took me out for a weekend, that we didn’t fuck, I would fall in love with you?”

“Well, yes.”

“That’s sad, Uncle Jim.”

He flinches when she calls him that.  It’s the first time in awhile she has called him that.

“I got to go.”

“Then what do you need?  What do you want from me?  I’ll be whatever you need.”

She stops.  She turns and grabs his hand. She rests it on her abdomen.

He flinches when he feels the babies' kicks under the fabric of her dress.

She drops her hand and turns.

“Jo?”

“Go home Jim.”


	12. Chapter 11

Jim Kirk doesn’t mop until he does.

It’s not even that Jo is the first person that has turned him down.  Because despite his reputation and that his bed is rarely empty, he has been turned down by women before.

Jim won’t deny that it doesn't hurt because it does.  Hell, it hurts a lot.  It was just that he had always been able to bounce back fast from rejection.

But Joanna was different.

It had been almost a week since she basically rejected him.  A week since he last saw her.

And it was also when he realized just how alone he _was_.

He was popular and famous.  He knew everybody at Starfleet, and everyone knew him.  He was famous for things he had done and similarly for being George Kirk’s son.

However despite popular belief, Jim doesn't have many friends.  Growing up, he had learned that most people wanted to be his friend because of his last name, not because of who he was.

In fact, Bones had been his first, real friend.  Bones had always been who he went to for comfort.

He could count on Bones.

And Bones could count on him.

Until he couldn’t.

And really, he didn’t know what to do about Bones.  A part of him, a part of him that he didn’t like was screaming at him that he didn’t deserve Bones.  That Bones would never forgive him.

And the biggest problem was even Jim's surperior negotiation skills wasn't even enough to convince himself otherwise.

And that made everything worse.

Because of all his friends, and now he did have a handful, he wasn’t really comfortable talking to any of them about _this_.  Even Spock, the least judgement of his friends sans Bones had seemed disappointed and even a bit disgusted by it all.  He wasn’t going to go to Spock again about this issue.

And that was how he ended up choosing Plan B instead.

_Drinking and fighting…_

It had always been his go to stress relief growing up.  Back in Riverside, he had a habit to going through the fighting circuits.  There and only there did his name meant nothing, only his fists and stamina.  

He reveled in the screams and hoots from the crowd as he unleashed his punches on his opponents.  Unlike most of his opponents, he was tall and lanky.  No matter how much muscle he gained, he could never look like the Mr. Universes of the past.  As a result, he always managed to draw a crowd when he punched through the heavy weights.

He had wandered into a few fighting rings when he first entered the Academy, but Bones always looked at him so disapprovingly when he came back with raw fists and broken noses.

He didn’t know when it happened, but eventually he stopped visiting the fighting dens.  

Now, the first time in almost two decades, Jim wanders into one.  Unlike then when he had been young and green, he’s older now.  He gets looks.  He gets called fucking ‘old man’ when he signs up and places down his credits.

He ignores the taunts and orders himself a round of drinks.

He’s the fifth match of the night.  By then a collection of spectators have amassed.  They scream and cackle as he climbs into the ring.  His opponent is young and green.  He looks half his age and reminds him uncomfortably of himself twenty years ago.  

It’s an unsettling feeling that is exacerbated when he isn’t able to a dodge the kid’s punch.  

He grunts when the kid throws a punch deep and hard into his gut.  He hears the jeers and shouts from the crowd.  The ones that call him ‘old timer’.  The ones that are telling him to quit.

He doesn’t.

It fuels him on.

He swings his own punch.

He’s wide.

He realizes his error too late when the kid easily step sides his charge.  As a result, he has left himself unguarded.  

The kid trips him.  He lands hard on the ground.

He feels the kid's raspy breaths against his ear,  “Give it up, pops.”

“No.”  Jim grunts as he picks himself up.  He groans as the kid connects his next set of punches.  He’s seeing stars.   All he can do is protect himself.

“This is suicide.”  The kid growls as he dodges Jim's next volley.

Jim spits out a mouthful of blood and looks his opponent in the eyes.  “Shut up.  I’ve been doing this since before you were even a thought.”

“It shows.”

Jim gasps as he’s thrown on his back.  His skull lands hard.  “Stay down.”  The kid curses.

And he does…

Because everything hurts.

“Man down.”  He hears someone shout.  He doesn’t know who.  He’s seeing stars, and everything sounds like he’s underwater.

Then a face appears in his blurred out vision.  It’s oddly familiar.

“Uncle Jim?”

He feels like he's been slapped harder than before.

“Jo?”  He grabs something.  Fabric... the side of her dress from what he can make out.  

_It couldn’t be._

_What was Jo doing here?_

“Come on.”  She helps him stand up.  It is Jo.  He recognizes her scent immediately.  

Her voice...

His feet feel like they are made of lead as Jo leads him away with the hooting and hollering.   

The jeering and the snickering…

He’s leaning heavily on her.   A part of his mind tells him it can’t be good for her.  She leads him to a back room.  A room with triple beds along a wall with a chest at the foot of each bed.  The other wall is occupied by a long dresser with three vanity mirrors and bar stools in front of each.  There are boxes of what Jim can only guess to contain makeup and jewelry. They are the only furniture in the room.   

Jim suddenly feels sick.

There is another person there. She looks at them once before quickly getting up and dashes out of the room without saying anything.

She does give Jo a questioning look before fully disappearing, which Jo seems to ignore.

Jo maneuvers him to the middle bed and sits him down.  “Wait here.”  Before he can stop her, she disappears out the door.  He hears some yelling that he can’t make out and a loud bang before she reappears.  

She returns with a tall glass of water, a bag of frozen peas and a wet towel.  She sets the cup and peas aside.  Then she gently brings the towel to his face.  He moans at the coolness.

She looks mildly apologetic.  

They don’t talk as she wipes away the blood.  She then places the bag in his hand.  The one that hurts less before she maneuvers them both to his face.  

It’s only then that he speaks.

“Jo, what are you doing here?  What are you wearing?”  It’s then he notices through his swollen eyes the outfit she has on.  

She is in a low cut white blouse and a white mini skirt.   Her breasts and swollen abdomen looks ready to explode from the constricting articles of clothing.  In fact, it looks really to rip open at any moment.  He warily wonders if that was the aesthetic they were going for.

There is a choker around her neck.  She’s in a pair of black boots.

He’s tempted to peel off his blood stained shirt and cover her with it.

She looks at him incredulously.  Like she can’t believe he’s asking her.   “I work here.”

“Excuse me?”

“I work here.”

He racks his mind digging through all of the Academy’s regulations.  There is no way the Academy doesn’t have rules against this.  

“Stop it.  And yes, the Academy does have rules, and no, it doesn’t matter anymore.”

He feels his breath catch.  

Because she couldn’t have…

“Why’s that?”

“I quit.”

“What?”  He drops the bag.  

“I quit.”  She says simply and turns away

“What? No!”  He grabs her wrist.  “Is it credits?  Because I’m sure Bones will pay.  I’ll pay.”

He has enough saved.  He’s not going to let her waste her life here.

She narrows her eyes.  

“I don’t need your credits, Jim.   I don’t need you.  You can rest here.  I have another three hours of shift left.”  She doesn’t give him a chance to argue as she walks out of the room.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

He comes back the next day after talking with Tanners.  His head is reeling from their conversation.

He finds Jo wiping down tables.  She’s in pink today. She doesn’t hear him as he approaches.

“You told me you quit.”

She doesn’t even jump.  Like she was expecting him.

She simply shrugs.  “I should.  Tanners won’t let me.  Insists I take the rest of the semester off.  Says summer break will be enough time for everyone to cool off and forget.”  She pulls a face.  “Says I can do a small load in the fall.”

Jim thinks if he was gay, he would kiss the man.  As it is, he knows he owes him even though he doesn’t know it.  “Smart man.”

“Annoying.  Wish everyone,” she glares at him, “would just let me live my life.”

“You aren’t.”  Jim grabs the towel from her hands.  Jo glares at him.  “You’re ruining it.”

“You helped.”

“What is this?”  A man comes up to them.  He looks to be about twice Jim’s size.  

“We’re talking.”

“I don’t pay my girls to talk.”  He says, icily.  Jim sees his hand creeping towards the underside of Jo’s thigh.  Jim grabs it reflexively.  

“What do you think you’re doing, mister?”

“You don’t want to do that.”

He looks at him.  The way he looks at Klingons, Romulans and any other alien race that crosses his path.

He feels the man’s grip go lax and Jim let’s go.

“You’re fired.  Don't need girls like you murking up the place.”  He says to Jo before turning away.  He takes a step before stopping.  “Take your little…”

“I wouldn’t finish that sentence if I were you.”

“Whatever."

Jim drops his jacket over Jo’s shoulders.  She hasn’t spoken once as he moves her out of the building.  They are almost two blocks away before Jo speaks up.

“Jim, what the hell?"  

He doesn't respond.

"Will you stop?"

He doesn’t.

“You can't do this.”

He stops then and looks at her.  “I’m not going to let you ruin your life.”

“It’s my life.”

“What about our kids?  You want them to live like this?”

As the words leaves Jim’s lips, he already feels horrible.  Jo looks like she’s been slapped.

“I…”

“Don’t.  Don’t you dare.”  Jo hisses.  She places her hand over her swollen abdomen.  “Our?  Our kids?  When has it ever been ‘our’?  Up to this point you’ve been no more than a sperm donor.”

“Then let me.  Let me be more than a sperm donor.  Let me be more than a fling for you.”  Jim takes her hand.  “Let me show you we can work.  That I love you.  That I love our girls.”  He places his hands on her abdomen, and this time he doesn’t flinch when he feels the babies' persistent kicks.


	13. Chapter 12

He’s surprised when he receives a message from Carol.  It’s a simple three word message that doesn’t give Jim any hints.

_Can we meet?_

It takes him a better half a day.  Not because he doesn’t know what to say.  It’s definitely not that.  

But he’s busy.

He’s an admiral.

And then there is Jo.  

He’s convinced her to move in with him.  He has a spare room.  One he had previously been storing his books, exercise equipment and random things he has picked up over the years.  The one Jo had used back during winter break before Bones knew about  _them._

Except there still is no 'them'.

After finding Jo at the fighting ring, he’s not keen on letting her be alone.  

She’s a loose cannon.  Like he had been before Starfleet, before Pike found him, before Bones…

He shakes that thought from his head.

Because Bones is in medical and he’s in command, and for once Jim is glad that the two divisions are across campus. Back in their Academy days, Jim used to joke how he got his daily allotment of exercise just by going to see Bones.  Now he’s glad for this distance.

From the grapevine, Jim knows he’s not doing well.

He’s taking too many shifts.  

Then again Jim doesn’t think he’s doing well himself.

It’s after Jo has gone to bed, or at least locked herself in her room, that Jim picks up his PADD.

He answers back with an equally simple message.

_Tony’s, for lunch tomorrow?_

He hits send before he can back out.  He’s surprised when his PADD chimes moments later.

_Ok._

He goes to sleep.

Jo isn’t awake or at least still locked up in her room when he leaves.  He goes to the office and works half heartedly on his mound of paperwork.

This wasn’t where he had pictured himself at forty.  He had always thought he would die in his chair either of old age or some unfortunately accident.

But after two five years missions followed by shorter missions, it became almost impossible to turn down the admiralty position he had been offered for the upteempth time.

Besides he was getting older.  Then there was a matter of his crew getting older.  He knew they were similarly passing up promotions out of loyalty to him.

Now, however, he is starting to regret his decision.  A desk job is not his forte.  He rather be in on the action as opposed to ordering other captains, some barely younger and some almost ten years his senior, to get the job done.

At 11:50, he checks out with Rand and walks to Tony’s.  Carol is already there when he arrives.  She’s sipping on a glass of iced tea in the corner table.  She simply nods her head when he approaches.  He slides into the seat across from her.

He has been to Tony’s so often, Jim doesn't bother to pick up the menu.  It dates back as a go to place that he and Bones used to frequent during their time at the Academy.  It is close enough that they don't need to take a hover cab, far enough that it doesn't feel like it is on Starfleet property, and most importantly has decent enough food.  In nearly, twenty years, Tony's hasn't changed.  It still sports its retro look.  

Jim ordered his regular: a medium rare steak burger, a large plate of steak fries and milkshake.  Carol looks at him questionably like she wants to say something but is choosing not to.  She orders a simple Caesar salad and iced tea.

For once he is thankful how fast the food is delivered to them because he doesn't know how to start.  It is obvious this isn't a simple lunch date.  

Jim can tell this meeting comes with ‘conditions’.

They are half way through their food when Jim, despite everything he knows about diplomatic meetings, speaks up.

“How you doing?”

She looks up.  “Well enough, with all things considered.”  

Jim flinches.  Because as he looks at her, he notices unlike Jo, the pregnancy has been hard on Carol.  Her face looks ashen.  She looks thinner and tired.

Of course unlike Jo who is young and full of energy, Carol is over forty.  The contrast is great.

“Jim, we both know we aren’t here for you or me.  But Leonard and Joanna…”

_Leonard…_

He reminds himself that’s Bones.  That his name is Leonard.  He’s used to thinking about him as Bones and most people call him some variation of McCoy or Len as opposed to Leonard. 

“How’s he doing?”  Jim blurts out because no matter what he hears from the grapevine he needs to hear it from Carol.  

Carol, his wife…

“You really care?”

“‘Course, he’s my best friend.”  Jim answers without thinking.

Carol purses her lips.  

“Please?”

“What do you think Jim?  His best friend, because you are, got his little girl pregnant.”

Jim flinches.

Carol takes a bite of her salad.

“He’s not doing well.  He’s working himself to death.  He hasn’t come home since he found out.  Been taking too many shifts.  The nurses says he’s living off of coffee and stims.  Just like…”. Carol closes her mouth as if she decided against what she is about to say at the last second.  

But Jim isn’t ignorant.  He knows what she wants to say.  

_Like when he had died._

Jim wonders now if there is a part of Bones that wishes he hadn’t brought him back all those years ago.  

“He’s hurting, Jim.”

He reads it as _fix it Jim._

Except he doesn’t know how to fix it.

“He’s worried about Jo.  She missed her last appointment.”

Jim feels a chill run down his spine.  He hadn’t known _that_.

“Tanners says she’s taking time off.  Best he could have done to keep her from quitting altogether.”

“I’ll talk to her.”

Carol looks at him.

“She’s staying with me.”  He clarifies.  “In my spare room,” he adds.

“I’ll let him know.”  She goes back to her salad.

Jim takes a deep breath.  “Carol, I’m sorry.”

She looks at him, and Jim wonders if this whole time since they have known each other this is the first time she has ever really looked at him.  “It’s not me you have to say that to,” she finally says.

“I know.”

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

After he leaves Carol, he walks around the campus for longer than he should.  But his head is swirling, and he needs time to think.

About Bones…

About Jo…

About his unborn daughters…

And mostly about himself…

About his future…

Because although he knows he loves Jo, as she had put it.  Compatibility and longevity are two different things.  He knows as well as Jo does how much it sucks to be part of a broken family.  He had grown up in a broken family where his mother brought home long strings of boyfriends where some had turned into fiancés and then husbands:

He didn’t want that for his girls or for Jo.

He walks for so long mulling over his problems that when he finally comes to his solution.  It's dark, but he feels like he has never felt more at peace with himself than at that moment.

It’s so obvious.

A clarity he can’t believe took him this long to reach.

When he returns to his apartment, he finds Jo on the couch.  She’s fast asleep.  What seems like a marathon of some old cartoons involving a rabbit and a duck is playing on the holoscreen.  She has her hand draped protectively over her swollen abdomen.  A bowl of half eaten popcorn rests next to her.

It tugs at his heartstrings and makes him realize that _this_ is what he wants.  He covers Jo with a blanket from her room.  She doesn’t react as he takes the bowl and turns down the holoscreen.  He orders Chinese before picking up his PADD.

Jo wakes up beadily eyed and confused to sound of the doorbell.  

“What?”  

“Food, Chinese.” Jim responds after accepting the food.

“Thank God.  I could just kiss you or have your babies if I wasn’t already doing that.”  Jo pulls a face and pushes the blanket away.  She looks like a kid in a candy store as Jim sets down the offerings.

They eat in a quiet, comfortable silence with the cartoon playing in the background like quiet noise, and for a moment Jim thinks this is the best thing ever.  When he turns to look at Jo.  There is a similar, content smile on her face.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

Somehow that manage to slip into this domestic ease, one Jim never imagined for himself.

He finds himself spending less hours at the office.  He finds himself not longing for the sexual relief that he craves a few times a week.  He finds himself frequenting the bars and dives less and less.

What he once thought he was incapable of is starting to become like second nature.

It’s some time later at night when he’s mulling over his PADD that he hears a noise.  He looks up to find Jo standing in her underwear.  She’s cradling her swollen abdomen with one hand and rubbing her eyes with the other.

Her lush black hair pools around her neck.  Her green eyes sparkle in the dim light.  She doesn’t say anything with her mouth, but she does say a lot with her eyes.  Jim moves the stack of PADD next to him, and Jo seems to mold against him.  

She falls asleep with her head on his lap.  It’s later he realizes his hand is resting protectively on her swollen abdomen running gentle circles over the persistent kicks of their daughters.

The next day they watch a movie together.  Halfway through he finds his fingers curling around hers, and she doesn’t pull away.

The next day he gets a message from Carol about Jo’s prenatal checkup scheduled for the afternoon.

He takes his medicine and hopes all the progress won’t be undone.

He’s surprised when Jo brings it up first.  It’s the first time she has said more than a few words to him.

“What to come along?  I got a checkup today.”

He immediately says ‘yes’.

He almost regrets coming along when he realizes the attendee is Christine Chapel.

She glares at him.  She looks like she’s ready to murder him.  

Like she knows.

Of course Jim knows that’s ridiculous.  He knows that Bones wouldn’t tell a soul.

He sits in the corner like a doting uncle instead of like the father, the lover.

He finds himself hating that.  It leaves a bitter after taste in his mouth.

He wonders why it’s taking him so long.  He knows the answer but enacting it is completely different.

He doesn’t really pay attention to what Chapel is telling Jo.  Medical parlance that he never understood.

“Admiral, we’ll about to take the images if you want to see.”

Jim looks up to see Jo and Chapel looking at him.

Jim blinks and nods.

He finds his breath catch with the images appear in the room.  Unlike the first time, the girls looks almost like newborns.  Their features are basically fully formed.  He can make like tiny fingers and toes.  He can make out his nose, lips and eyes.  He sees Jo’s cheeks and forehead.

They are moving rapidly and fiercely.  He looks at Jo and sees a smile on her face.  The mirror of what he believes to be on his face.

The images disappear all too soon for Jim. Chapel downloads a copy onto a data chip.  She hands it to him, and Jim thinks he’ll treasure it forever.

There is a regret as he looks at the words on the data chip.  

_Twenty-eight weeks scan_

He’s missed so much already…

The next words catch his attention.

“The girls are healthy and growing leaps and bounds.  They are making all their milestones.”

_That’s my girls._

Jim feels his heart swell with pride.

Chapel picks up a PADD.  “I see your birth plan is still empty.”

_Birth…_

“Twins typically come early.  The average for humans is thirty-seven weeks, but some are known to come as early as now or even earlier.”

_Now…_

“But I don’t think we have to worry too much about that.  Your cervix shows no signs of weakening and no contractions?”

Jo shakes her head.  She clearly looks shaken by the news.

“But a birth plan is important.  I would like you to think of a rough one by our next appointment, in two weeks," Chapel adds, "and if we make it to thirty-four weeks every week.”

Jo nods.  She bits her lips.  “What does it entail?”

Chapel taps her stylus to the screen.  “What type of birth you want.  Natural…”

Jo looks up.  “I can do natural?”

“As of now both twins are head down.  At your current progress, I think so if you want.”

Jo nods.  There is a smile on her face.

“And who you want there.”

Jo’s face darken.

“Like the father…”

“I’ll be there.”  Jim blurts out.  He almost wants to slap himself.  Jo and Chapel both turn to look like him.  “I mean… if Jo wants me to be there.”

Chapel smiles.  Jim wonders if this is the first time she has smiled at him like that. “That’s kind of you, Admiral.”

Jo doesn’t say anything.

He makes sure not to say anything for the rest of the appointment.

But he does mean it…

All of it…

He does want to be there.  For the birth and for everything afterwards if Jo lets him.

What Jo wants.  

Not what he wants.

That night he wakes up in the middle night to find Jo standing at the doorway.  They don’t say anything as she slides into the space next to him.  His hand finds its way to her abdomen as her long strands of hair tickles his cheeks.  Her breathing slows down as she burrows against his chest.

As Jim dozes off, he realizes this is first time they have ever slept together like this...

And it feels so right.

It’s what makes the next course of action so easy for Jim.  He approaches Jo on the weekend.  The Academy has finally started its summer vacation, and June is coming to an end.  

“Come on a trip with me?”

Jo raises an eyebrow, the same one as her dad, and Jim hopes.  He hopes after today he can work on that too. Because he misses Bones terribly.

“A trip?”

“Yeah.”

“Where?”

“It’s a surprise.”

Jo doesn’t look convinced.

“It’s a good surprise trust me.”

“Okay.”  She finally relents.

She looks at him confused when they board a civilian transporter but doesn’t say anything.

She falls asleep on the ride over.  She’s groggily and doesn’t register much as Jim picks up the hover car.

It’s a slow drive.  Through a one lane road along the backside of a mountain.  It’s calm, quiet and serene.  It’s completely different from the bustle of San Francisco.

He has forgotten how beautiful it is here.  It has been over five years since he last been here.

He parks before waking Jo up.

“We’re here.”

Jim helps her out of the car.  She looks around confused.  He thinks it must be trust that she doesn’t say anything as he leads her to the edge of the cliff.  He smiles as the setting sun peeks over the treetops.

He slips a side glance at Jo who is sitting next to him.  Her entire face seems to just light up.

“What do you think?”

“It’s beautiful.  Quiet.”  He can tell she’s confused.  He wonders if this is the first time he has surprised her.  

"I'm glad."

He is.

“Jim?  What is this?”

“Home, or it can be if you want it to be.”

“Jim?”

He covers her hand over her swollen abdomen.  

“We can live here if you want.  Raise our girls.  Our family.”

“Our secret family you mean.”  She pushes away from his hold.  At her size, Jim easily stops her.  

“No.”

She raises her eyebrow.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Then what do you mean?”

“I resigned from Starfleet.”


	14. Chapter 13

“What?”  She looks shocked.   Her bright green eyes widen.  

“I love you.  I love our girls.  I don’t want to hide you from the world.  I don’t want to hide my relationship with the girls from the world.  I want the world to know that I love you, Joanna Honey McCoy.”  Jim takes a deep breath.  “And that can’t happen while I’m in Starfleet.”

“Jim.”   She closes her mouth.  There seems to be tears in her eyes.  Jim isn’t sure what she’s thinking.  Then surprisingly, and completely unexpected, she throws herself into his chest and pulls him into a hug.

She’s trembling.

She’s crying.

“Jo?”

She pulls away.  Her eyes glisten.  “I don’t know what to say.”

“Is that good or bad?”

“Good, definitely good.”  She brushes back her tears.  “No one has ever done something like this for me before.”

“They should.  Cause you, Joanna.  You deserve it.”  He smiles.  “You deserve so much.”  He cups her tear stained face.

“Jim.”

She kisses him.  

It’s soft and sweet.  

It’s different from any of his past kisses, and he loves it.  He thinks he’ll drown in it.  In her beauty, her everything and at that moment, any lasting doubt and regret vanishes.

When she pulls away, they are both breathless.  There is a smile on Jo’s face that radiates like the sun.

“Make love to me, Jim?”  She asks.  

He feels himself harden at her request.  He kisses her again.  “Of course, sweetheart,” he mutters.  He stands up and jogs back to their rental car.  He takes out a thick blanket and returns.  He unrolls it on the ground.

When he turns back to Jo, his heart skips a beat.  She’s standing there as naked as her name day.  Her ebony locks are pooling around her shoulders.  She cradles her swollen abdomen with one hand while the other is reaching out to him.  

“You’re so beautiful.”  Jim mutters as he takes her hand.  He pulls her against him.

He kisses her as he lowers her down onto the blanket.  She plants her knees and her hands on the ground.

He notices that she’s much bigger now that her belly touches the blanket.  

“Jim.”

Her voice pools him from his thoughts. He undoes his pants and lines them up.

Under the setting sun, Jim gently slides inside of Jo.  She’s wet and warm and wonderful, and it’s like coming home.

He cries out a ‘Jo’ as he cums, filling her up with his seed.  Her eyes shine with happiness as she pulls him down beside her.  She rests her head against his chest.  Their fingers join together over her swollen belly.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

Jim wakes up sometime later feeling relaxed.  He feels lighter than he has in years.  

He feels like he finally has a sense of purpose to his life.

The reason...

He turns to find the spot next to him empty.  A sense of panic courses through him.  That it was all a dream.  That he hadn’t…

He hears something snap.  He sits up to see Jo walking toward him.  He relaxes immediately when he sees her smile at him.

“Hey.”  

He opens his arms for her.  She curls into his lap like she always belonged.  He breaths in her scent.

“Jim?”

“Just remembering this is all real.”

Jo looks at him funny for a minute before nodding.  “Oh.”

“You understand?”

“Well, I would wake up sometimes, and think this is all a dream.”  He knows what she is referring to.  “Then one of girls would move then they both would be kicking up a storm.  And I remember I ain’t a dream.  They’re going to be here at any time, Jim.”

She is trembling now.

He hugs her tighter.  She’s crying.

“Jo?  Sweetheart.”  He brushes away her tears.  “What’s wrong?”

“Everything.  The babies… what if?”

“They are healthy and strong.  Chapel wouldn’t say otherwise.”  Jim kisses her again.

“Dad.  Mom.  Carol.  Clay.”

She pulls a face.  

“They’re your parents.  They will forgive you.   They’ll love you and the girls.”

“What about you?  You and Dad.”  She adds.

Jim kisses her again.  “Let me worry about that.”   

“And Starfleet?”

“Starfleet?”

She hands him his com.  He groans at the sheer number of messages.  He had predicted he would get some resistance, but not _this_.  He closes it without reading any of them.

“Doesn’t matter what they say.  What matters is only _us_ , you, me and our girls.”

Jo looks at him, unconvinced.  “You’ll get bored.  Dad always said retirement doesn't suit men like you two.”

“Did he?”

“Yeah.”

Jim doesn’t doubt it.

“Well I’m not retiring.”

“You aren’t?”

“Nope.”

She raises an eyebrow.  She looks at his suspiciously.  “What you going to do then?”

“Run Starstuck.”

“Starstuck?”

“My company.”

“Your company?”  Her eyebrow spikes upwards.

“Yeah.  Didn’t I mention it?  I own everything in this valley, including the company over there.”  He points to the only bit of the civilization in the corner.  “You could be my second in command if you want, or go back to the Academy.”

She looks at him pensively.  She caresses her abdomen before speaking again.  “I’ll think about it.”

Jim’s stomach growls at that moment.  They both laugh when Jo’s stomach follows.  

“Get something to eat?”

“Sounds good.”

They go back to the hover car, and Jim takes them into town.  It’s a small town, reminiscent of the old Western towns in what was once the United States.  The only reason Jim doesn’t think he has suddenly gone back into time is that there are AIs in the streets and hover cars.  

Jim parks the car then jogs to the other side to help Jo out.  There is a bemused look on her face as she slips her arm into Jim’s.  

“Master Kirk.”  He almost groans when the hostess addresses him like that.

He had forgotten about this.

“I… I’ll go get Valerin.”  She disappears before Jim can stop him.  Jo looks at him bemused.  

“Master Kirk?”

“Long story.”

“Master Kirk is too humble.”  They turn to find a green alien sporting a deep blue suit beaming at them.  

Jo grins at him.

“He saved us all when he was not much older than you, ma’am.”  Valerin leads them to the table in the corner, away from the rest of the patrons who are all smiling at them.  Jim feels like he’s going to explode from embarrassment.

“The usual Master Kirk?”

He nods.

“Ma’am?"

“Joanna, sir.”

“Valerin, ma’am, humble owner of this establishment.”  

She doesn't pick up the menu.  There is a gleam in her eyes.  “I’ll have the same.”  So what did he do?”  Jo asks.

“Master Kirk is too humble to not even tell this beautiful woman how he saved us, but this is not a story that I should be the one to tell you.”  Valerin turns back to him.  “She is stunning, Master Kirk.  A sight for sore eyes.”

Valerin tips his hat at her.  Before turning back to Jim.  “The gods are good to you, Master Kirk.  You’ve been truly blessed to have such a lovely wife.”

Jim opens his mouth to correct him.  He's stunned when Jo beats him to it, and what she says in response.  “Future fiancée, right Jimmy?”  She smiles at him.  

Valerin grins.  He winks at him before leaving to turn in their order.  

She leans over and pushes his bottom jaw upwards.  He hadn’t even noticed it has fallen.  “Jo,” he sputters out.  “You didn't have to say that.”

She looks at him humorously.  “You are, aren’t you?”

He blinks.

“How did they give you the Enterprise?  Ask me to marry you, of course.  August is a lovely time for a wedding don’t you think.”

“August.”  Jim repeats.

“Yep, and I talked with the girls while you were sleeping, and they agreed to not come until after their daddy makes a honest woman out of their mama.”  Her eyes are twinkling.

“Oh really now.”

“And James Tiberius Kirk, I don’t want to be pregnant forever.”

“Well then.”

He hadn’t planned on asking her tonight.  And he might not have a ring for her, nor a speech planned, but as he sees her smiling and glowing, he can’t think of a better time.

So he sets down his napkin and gets out of his chair.

Unlike the first time he asked her, when he was balls deep inside of her.  He does it properly.  He gets down on one knee.

“Joanna Honey McCoy, will you marry me?”

“Yes, I will.”

He doesn’t even notice the cheers in the background.  At that moment, all he cares about is that Jo said ‘yes’.


	15. Chapter 14

The only reason they go back is because of what he told Jo originally, why he resigned from Starfleet to begin with.

He doesn’t want to hide their relationship from the world.  

Even though staying here would be easier because he knows here he won’t be judged.

Even though the people here have  only known Jo for a week, they already adore her almost also much as they do him.  

And the girls, they are about as eager as Jim and Jo are for their arrival.

However, he similarly knows they can’t hide here forever.

He manages to prolong their stay for a week.  He gets caught up on the inner workings of Starstuck.  

The revenue, production and customers...

He already has ideas on how to improve efficiency.

The rest of the time he and Jo start shopping for a home model.

They eventually choose a five bedroom and five bath rustic house with an easy layout that allows for future expansion if they need it.

Even though Jim can’t see how they could possibly need more rooms.

However he can’t deny that he doesn’t love it.  

One entire wall is made of tintable glass which when built will overlook the valley.  There is a private deck with a hot tub adjoining the master bathroom on the second floor.  Jim can already imagine all the uses they will put into it in their future.

The future...

That thought alone exhilarates Jim.

There is a both a basement and an attic.  They do add on another deck for the family to use.  

When they sign on the dotted line, Jim still can’t believe this is real.   Jo squeezes his hand.  There is a similar expression on her face.

But they finally go back because of one particular message.  The only message that he does read.

It's from Bones…

It’s short and void of almost any emotion.

It’s six words long.

_Did you really resign from Starfleet?_

He has never felt more nervous than that ride home.  It’s not because of Starfleet because he really doesn’t care what they think.  He has given up a better part of his life to it.

But it’s Bones...

Even though Bones had basically told him to marry Jo the last time they talked.  Now that they really are getting married.

They even set a date.

Stardate 2273.220 or August 8th in the old Gregorian calendar…

It’s a Friday because Saturdays are too cliche.  Everyone gets married on a Saturday.

It gives them a little over a month to plan, or for Jo to plan.  He doesn’t know anything about weddings.

He doesn’t know what Bones will say.

It seems Jo understands.  She holds his hand with her right.  Her left hand is resting on her swollen belly.  

Jim has to remind himself that she’s almost thirty weeks along now.  That on their wedding day she’ll be past thirty-four weeks.  He had suggested they could just get married in court and do the ceremony later, but Jo insisted.

He just hopes the girls decide to either come early or stay inside of Jo until after the wedding.

The sparkling diamond on her ring dances in the light.  That had been their last purchase before leaving.

They arrive in San Francisco late in the afternoon.

And then it begins…

The shit storm…

The paparazzi…

The microphones…

The lights…

Jim thinks it might be worse than after Nero.

Barnett is there with his team.  Jim doesn’t even want to know how he knew.  Jim has known for a while Barnett has his ways.  He’s grateful when they throw a cloak over Jo before herding them into a waiting car.

The cameras flash as they drive away.  He is grateful that Barnett doesn’t try to talk to him.  It’s a short ride back to Headquarters.

They don’t go through the front doors but through the back.  

But it seems even that is not enough to deter the ambitious, over eager reporters and photographers.  They are like hungry hounds that descends upon them the moment the door pulls open.

Jim knows they will be tomorrow’s headlines.  

They don’t relent even when they enter headquarters and slam the door.  They are quickly ushered to the lift and taken to the top floor.

The board room…

Jim has only been there a handful of times…

He’s surprised when he feels Jo’s warm fingers snake into his.  The hard edges of her engagement ring brushes against his skin.  It grounds him, reminds him of what he has.

Her fingers slip away when the lift stops.  She’s still close enough that he can smell her scent as they walk down the hallway.

When they round corner, he jolts to a stop.  Bones is there with Carol and Spock.  Because Spock is basically the perfect Vulcan, his face is emotionless.  There is a look on Carol’s face that he can’t read.  But of the three, there is only one he cares about…

_Bones…_

He hasn’t seen Bones in weeks…

Not since that day when he found out.

He looks older and greyer.  

Even though for years, Jim has been calling Bones ‘old man’.  There is technically only a six years age gap between them.  

However, at this moment the difference looks much more.  He looks older than the mid forties that is his age.

He doesn’t really look at Jim.

Jim feels his heart sink.

He knows there is no reason for Bones to forgive him.  That nothing has changed between them.  That the message Bones sent to him doesn’t mean anything.

“Your father is here to take you home, Cadet McCoy.”

Of course they don’t want to talk to Jo.  

Not right now anyways…

“What?”  Jo looks up him, then Barnett, then to Bones.

“Joanna.”  Bones speaks up.  “Come on.”

“No.”

“Jo, I got this.”  He doesn’t want to make a scene, or at least a larger one than he has to.

Starfleet for all its talk of peace and exploration is still a military institution. He knows he could be court martialed.

He doesn’t want Jo to be there when it happens.  She pulls a face but goes to Bones.  He throws a jacket over her shoulders and leads her away.  Carol and Spock trail behind them.

He waits until he hears the elevator ding before turning back to face Barnett.  The man looks at him, doesn’t say anything before walking into the board room.

He follows Barnett inside.  

He’s surprised it’s empty.

It’s just the two of them.

“Surprised?”

“A little, sir.”  Even though they are the same rank now, the 'sir' rolls off his lips as easily as it had almost two decades ago.

“I wanted to speak to you alone.  This is completely off the record.   You’re a good man and a great asset to Starfleet.  You have a glowing service record.  You could’ve gone down in history as a celebrated Starfleet officer.  Why give it up?”

It’s not a word Jim says often if at all, and for the longest time he didn’t even believe in it.  

“Love.”

Barnett laughs at that moment.  Jim wonders if it’s the first time he has heard the man laugh.

“Sir?”

It slowly dies away.  There is a fond smile on his face.  “I’m sure you are tired of hearing this, but pardon an old man’s reminiscence for once.  You are definitely your father’s son.”

“Sir?”

“I knew your father.  We had gone through the Academy together.”

Jim is surprised by that.

“I watched him fall in love with your mother.  At the time it was unheard of for cadets that were in the command track.  They were expected to be single, to be married to their ship.”  There was fond look on Barnett’s face.  

“He told me he was going to marry your mother and change the world.  Your dad had just made lieutenant commander when your brother was born.  He was halfway across the Alpha quadrant.  When your mom got pregnant with you, he said he wasn’t going to miss another birth.  I thought he was a dreamer, but he moved heaven and earth for her to be on the Kelvin.”

He hadn’t known _that._

He never asked why his mom had been on the Kelvin heavily pregnant. Pregnant enlisted crewmen and officers were expected to take planet side posting after the first trimester.

“I’m happy for you, Kirk, truly.”

“Thank you sir.”

“But,” there is a pained look on Barnett’s face.  “while Cadet McCoy might not have been your student, she is still a cadet.  It is against Academy procedures to fraternize with cadets.  Your termination makes it easier.  Starfleet will do its best to mull over the press, but you will be discharged, stripped of all your titles and honors.”

“I understand, sir.”

And really Jim didn’t care.

He had Jo and their girls, and that was all that mattered to him.


	16. Chapter 15

Of course the rest of the world isn't as accommodating as Barnett.

The next morning the press runs hot.

He had expected it.  Barnett had warned him, advised him not to go back to his flat, which wouldn't be his flat for much longer.

They had the decency to give him a few days to find something else.

He had gone into that briefing room an officer and came out a civilian.

He’s not Admiral Kirk anymore, but Mr. Kirk.  It sounds strange to his lips.  His rank had defined him for so long.

He is surprised Jo is at the flat when he returns.  He had assumed she would have stayed with Bones.

When he asks, she looks at him with a look that means only one thing ‘seriously’. It’s enough to make him close his mouth.  He curls up behind her and wraps her and their daughters into a tight hug.

He manages to distract himself and Jo by looking at colors and decorations for the wedding together because life must go on.

They have a future to live.  They can't be bogged down by the past.

They have the entire net at their disposal.  They curl together on the couch and laugh at all the ridiculous things they find.

And it’s almost enough to forget it all.

He does until Jo says.

“Dad wants us over for dinner.”

She says it so casually, as if the last few months had never happened.

“I told him _we_ would come.”

He nods ‘yes’ because it’s time to face the music.  He’s going to marry Bones’ little girl, who isn’t little anymore.  For a moment, he thinks about twenty, thirty years in the future with his girls.  He feels his heart squeeze for a moment.

“Jim?”  Jo looks at his concerned.  She rests her hand on his arm.  “You okay?”

“Yeah.”  He nods and puts on a smile.  He’s glad Jo doesn’t push it and instead goes back to looking at wedding stuff.

The second time it hits him that he isn’t an officer anymore is when he goes to his closet.  

His uniforms have all been removed.  His closet is near empty except for a few shirts, a pair of pants and his old leather jacket.

He feels Jo’s still wet body from the shower they had just taken press up against him from behind.  

“We’ll have to go shopping.”

“Yeah.”

He pulls on a pale blue shirt.  In the back of his mind he vaguely remembers getting it with Bones a few years back.  He pushes that thought to the back of his mind.

Jo chooses a white dress and pulls her hair up into a loose bun.

She grabs her handbag, and they leave the apartment.

Even though it’s already deep into summer, it’s still a cool walk to Bones’ house.  He thinks he’ll miss San Francisco and Earth.

It’s Carol that welcome them inside.

She looks tired.

When she pulls him into a hug, he feels the light flutters of her and Bones’ baby.  

_His future brother or sister-in-law…_

He mentally calculates that they should know the baby’s gender.

That in a different world, Jim would have been one of the first to know.  He pushes that thought aside because he did what he did, and now he has to deal with what he has done.

When Carol pulls Jo into a hug, the difference in size between the two women are even more pronounced.  While Jo looks like she’s carrying a watermelon, Carol barely looks like she’s pregnant.

Jim doesn’t know much about pregnancy or belly growth, but there is a pair of alarm bells that silently goes off in his head.

But she’s married to Bones.

Bones is a doctor.

It’s probably nothing.

“He’s in the study.”  Carol’s voice cuts through his thoughts.  “Come on Jo, help me set the table while the men talk.”

Jo looks at him.

He pulls on a smile and nods before she follows Carol into the kitchen.

Then he is alone.  

He’s alone in Bones and Carol’s house.  He takes a deep breath.

He can do this.

This is Bones…

They have been through thousands of things together.  It’s just Jim can’t think of a time when anything has happened that is worse than the situation they are in now _._

The walk to Bones’ study feels like an eternity and like only a second has passed all at once.  It feels like he’s thirteen again and walking to the principal’s office because he set the frogs loose in biology.

The hard oak doors of Bones’ study look large and menacing. For once, he knocks instead of barging straight in.

He almost hopes Bones doesn’t hear.

Of course he does.

“Come on.”

He takes a deep breath, turns the doorknob, because of course it has a doorknob, and walks in.

“You’ve redecorated.”  Jim says.  It’s not what he meant to say, but it’s what comes out of his mouth.

Bones’ study is completely different.

There is a leather couch in the corner which used to be empty.  There is a mini fridge to the side.  There is long wood table in front on the couch.  Bones is sitting on the couch and nursing a glass of what Jim assumes is bourbon on the rocks.

His hair is more grey than black.  There is a dark five o’clock shadow on his face.  He is thin, thinner than Jim has ever seen him before.

Most of all he’s staring at Jim with a pair of piercing hazel eyes.

“Close the door, James.”

Jim flinches.  He _knows_ Bones has never called him _that_ before.

Bones has called him a whole string of things before, but never James.

He does because… well, he is a little afraid now.  

Actually he is a lot afraid…

Bones is brilliant doctor and scientist.  He doesn't doubt that he probably has the skills to design a murder as an accidental death.

“Joanna says you two are getting married in a month.”

“Yes,” the ‘sir’ almost comes out but he manages to keep it silent at the last second.

Because _Christ…_

He doesn't want to go _there._

Bones takes a sip from his glass.

"James Kirk, married."  He twirls the glass and watches as the ice cube spins in the brown liquid.  "There was once a time I wanted nothing more than for you to settle down."

He doesn't know what to say to _that_.

"Wanted you to find happiness.  Cause you'll my best friend."

Jim notes he doesn't say it in the past tense.  He hoping it wasn't a slip that Bones didn't mean.  Still it makes it hopeful when Bones doesn't correct him that there is still hope for them both.

"Just never imagined you'd be my son-in-law."

"No."

He hadn't either.  He tries not to think about it like _that_.

It seems Bones doesn't want to either.  He takes a deep sip of his drink.

“You quit Starfleet.”

“I did.”

Quitting Starfleet doesn't even hurt anymore he realizes.

Bones sighs. Jim hears an almost silent 'fuck' leave his lips. He knows Bones didn’t want him to hear it.

“You love her, Jim Kirk?  Because she’s my baby girl, Jim.  You know, and well… no parent wants their kid to make the same mistakes they did.  And quitting Starfleet, fuck.  You love space.”

“I do.  I do love space, but I love your daughter more, Bones.  I ain’t going to abandon her.  I swear it.”

Bones grunts.

“It ain’t gonna to easy, and I’m not the best to get you relationship advice.  Joce and now Carol…”  He trails off and takes another sip from his glass.

He laughs then, bitterly as he twirls the glass around and around..

“Bones?”

“I can’t believe you did what I couldn’t.”

“Bones?”

“You gave up space for her.  The one thing I couldn’t do.”

He’s floored then.

“You who loves space gave up space for her."

"Bones..."

"I know I should take it to mean that you do love her.  That it isn't a whim, but that parental part of me can't help but still be angry at you.”

Jim takes it. It's more than he deserves.

“You got the right, Bones.  I shouldn’t have slept with her.”

“Damn right.”

“But I’ll do right by her, Bones. I swear.”

“You better.”  He takes another sip from his glass.  “And you two will be the one to explain all this to Jocelyn.”

_Fuck._

Because well Jim is a little afraid of one Jocelyn Treadway, Jo’s other parental unit.  They have never met; however, Jim knows of her existence even longer than Joanna’s.

He knows her as the ex-wife who took everything in the divorce and drove her ex who suffers from aviophobia into joining Starfleet just to get away from her.

However of all the things he had expected, it wasn’t for her to say “at least it’s Jim Kirk.”

He doesn’t know what to make of _that_.

It seems neither does Jo or Bones or Carol or Clay.

Jocelyn however doesn’t elaborate as she launches into a thousand questions about the wedding.  

When they leave Bones and Carol's house, somehow they have promised to come back for dinner on Friday.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

Two days later, Jim comes back from an afternoon at the gym.

He finds Jo sitting at the kitchen table hunched over.  He sets the bags of take out he had ordered on the kitchen counter before walking forward.

“Jo?”

She looks up from the table.  Her eyes are red.  

“I didn’t think it would hurt this much.”

“Sweetheart?”  He wraps his arm around her.

“I thought it couldn’t get worse than _that_ hearing.  Going up in front of that disciplinary hearing to say I didn't sleep with any of my professors.  That I didn’t get any favors.”

“Jo.”

She sniffs again.  “But to be called _this_ by strangers.  People I don’t even know.  I know I shouldn’t care, but…”

He flinches.  Barnett had warned him about this, but…

“You shouldn’t.  You shouldn’t read it.”  He adds.  He should have done a better job of keeping it from her.

“They say I forced you to give up the admiralty.  Hell, there are even people wishing our girls and I would die in childbirth.”

“What?”  Jim feels his blood run cold.  Because if anything happens to Jo, or the girls…

He shakes it from his head.

“Let me take care of it.”

“Jim?”  She looks up, her eyes wide open.  “Don’t…”

“Let me take care of it, babe.”

“Babe?”  Jo raises an eyebrow.

“No?”

“No.”  

But at least it's nothing to cause a small smile to appear on her lips.

It’s easy to schedule the press conference.  They seem to be clamoring to hear him speak.  Of course Starfleet isn’t happy, but when Jim explains they can’t think of a different solution.

Jim was too decorated of an officer to just disappear so easily.

However they insist on writing a script for him to read.

Of course Jim doesn’t use it.

“I’m marrying Cadet McCoy because I love her.”  

The camera can’t seem to flash fast enough as he continues.

“I’m stepping down because that is the right thing to do.  Life is too short to let go things go to waste.”

He sees Jo standing to the side.

He sees the reporters and journalists standing around.

He walks up to her and kisses her then and there.  

And he doesn’t care that thousands, millions, billions of inhabitants will see this.

Because he doesn’t care.


	17. Chapter 16

Turns out Jo’s dream wedding venue is a tiny church in Georgia, the same church Bones and Jocelyn had gotten married at almost twenty four years earlier.

Of course Jocelyn Treadway won’t have any of it.  She’s light years away, hasn’t seen her daughter in years, but she definitely has an opinion on her daughter’s wedding.

After so many years, Jocelyn is suddenly sending Jo coms every night.  From half of the conversation that he can hear, Jim has managed to deduce that she is more upset that the wedding is in less than a month than that Jo is pregnant.  She doesn’t even say anything about _that._

She doesn’t ask about the gender, how far along she is, or anything like that.  Jo similarly doesn’t give her any details.

Instead Jocelyn frets about the minor things.  The colors, the napkin arrangement, the invitations, and most of all the guest list…

Their intimate wedding with just family and the closest friends turns into what Jim feels like is the entire population of Georgia or even the entire south.

More than once Jim finds her in inconsolable tears after a com session with Jocelyn.  All he can do is rub her back and kiss her tears away.

He knows all the stress can’t be good for her or the girls.  

“She’s already in Georgia.  She’s already bought the dresses and tuxes for Kirstie, Tommy and the cousins.”

It’s then that a spark of inspiration crosses Jim’s mind.  He can’t believe he hadn’t thought about it earlier.

“Why don’t you go back early?”

Jo raises an eyebrow.  “What?”

“Then Joce won’t have the advantage.”

“You sure?”  She looks conflicted.

“Absolutely,” Jim mutters.  He kisses her on the lips.  She lets out a moan when Jim pulls away.

“Make love to me?”

“Your wish is my command.”

Jo lets out a girlish giggle as she peels off her underwear.  She gets on her hands and knees as Jim pulls off his own pants.

She’s weeping of fluids when Jim slides inside.  She moans as Jim runs his fingers over her breasts as he sets a pace.  

Slow and steady…

He’s conscious of her changing body.

He works her nipples.  They have darkened and enlarged to prepare for the girls’ arrival.  She gasps when a yellowish white liquid seeps out from her nipples and onto Jim’s fingers.

“Jim,” she moans.

“Got you baby,” Jim mutters.  His hands run along the curve of her body towards her swollen abdomen.  He feels the girls kicks against the palms of his hands.  Jim sometimes wonders if the girls know their daddy is making love to their mommy and is showing their approval.

He thrusts inward again.  Jo arches her back upwards.  

He feels her release as he follows seconds afterwards.  He feels completely spent as Jo sits up.  There is a small pool of their combined liquids that trickle out of her and along his thigh.  He doesn’t care as he curls up against her. 

“Getting tired, old man?”

“Never,” he mutters. His eyes dropping even as he speaks.

Later she will ride him cowgirl style, but for now they rest against next other.

“Just for a little while.”

“A little while,” Jim agrees.  He thinks he’ll go back and see how construction on their home is going.  The schedules he has been getting shows it’ll be done in time for them to move in, for Jo to decorate the girls’ nursery before their arrival, hopefully.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

They get tickets for her the next morning and notify Bones’ mother who naturally says with a no nonsense voice that Jo is saying with her.  Jim sees the relief wash over her when she tells him.  

Chapel has given her blessing for Jo to travel.  She’s naturally invited to the wedding.  All of Jim’s old crew that are in the area are invited.

The night before she’s scheduled to leave, Jim finds her looking attentively at a PADD on their bed.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”  Jim curls up against her.  It’s almost instinctive these days for his hand to go to Jo’s abdomen.  The girls’ tiny kicks warm his heart.  He can’t believe there had been a time not long ago when he flinched away from it.  

He kisses her exposed shoulder blade.

“Jim.”

He looks up, a smile on his face.  “Just kissing my future bride.”

“Uh huh.”

They have agreed no more sex until after the wedding while after their last rounds of sexual escapades lead to a few hours of contractions.  Luckily they didn't amount to anything when they tapered off and then stopped.

Chapel confirmed that one of the girls is close to engaging and although her cervix has thinned and shortened a little bit, she doesn’t think birth will happen anytime soon yet.

It’s a promise Jim is discovering is harder to keep.  

They are doing all they can to keep the babies inside until after the wedding, and Jim hopes the honeymoon.

He hasn’t told Jo about _that_.

It’s his wedding present to her.

“What you doing?”

“Names.”

Jim draws a breath.

They haven’t talked about _that_.

“Thing one and thing two has a nice ring,” Jim teases.  It’s like the babies understand when they kick hard against his hand.  Jo looks at him, and then they burst out laughing. 

“Jim…” She taps his wrist when the laugher dies away.  

“Sorry.”  He looks at her sheepishly.  “So what names do you like?”

“Something not to common.”

Jim understands _that_.  Growing up as a James meant there was always another kid or two in his class with the same name.

“And if we wanted the girls to have matching names.”

“Hmm.”  He looks down at the PADD.  It’s a book of baby names.

“How about Maya?”  It’s short and sounds cute for a little girl.  He doesn’t think it’s common.  “And… Leia.”  

“That’s cute, Maya Kirk and Leia Kirk.”  Jo tries the names out.  “You like these names your daddy picked?” The girls kick again.  They burst out laughing again.

“We don’t have to…” Jim starts but Jo cuts him off with a kiss and all thoughts of names and such go flying out the window.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

He discovers after just one night without her that he doesn’t know how he lived a lifetime without her.

The highlights of Jim’s day is when they talk every night.  She complains about the heat.  It’s hot and humid, and she swears they are feeding her growth hormones or something because the babies have definitely grown a kilo and a half each since she’s been here.

She’s also feeling practice contractions, which before Jim can say he’s getting on the next shuttle out, Jo tells him the doctors here don’t think she’ll go into labor anytime soon either.

Then finally, finally because neither one of them can stand being apart from each other anymore, and Jo has ordered her wedding dress and booked most of the vendors, Jim gets tickets for the first shuttle out to Georgia for the next morning.

He’s back in San Francisco for the afternoon before his early morning shuttle ride to Georgia when he gets an unexpected visitor.

 _Bones_ …

He’s alone.  

He has come to Jim’s old apartment which he has almost emptied out.

“Hey,” Jim feels his throat run dry.  He suddenly doesn’t know what to say to the man who was, is, he corrects himself, best friend and in a week who will become his father-in-law.  Jim has a feeling Bones doesn’t know either. 

“Jim.”

“Bones.”

He sets the box he was moving down.

“You’re really moving?”

“Yeah.”  Jim nods. “The admiralty wants their apartment back.  My replacement is getting it.”

“Oh.  Damn this is really happening.”  He scratches the back of his neck.

Jim looks at him for a moment.  He understands.  There had been mornings in the past week when he woke up on Centauri thinking he was late to a meeting or something to realize he doesn’t do that anymore.  Mornings when it sinks in that he will never go back into the black as a captain or an admiral or anything like that.

“Yeah.”  Jim nods.

“Mom said you were going to Georgia in the morning?”

He words it like a question.

“Yeah.”

“She’s made a room for you.”

Jim opens his mouth because Christ, he doesn’t want to trouble Bones’ mother or family anymore than he already has.  They are good people.  People who had treated him like family when Bones first took him to Georgia all those years ago.

It makes him feel guilty of what this has become.

“I…”

“She insisted.”  Bones pressed.  “Donna and Fred will pick you up at the station.”

_Bones’ older sister and husband…_

He remembers.

Bones is the second oldest of five children, two girls and three boys.  Donna was the oldest then Bones followed by twin boys, Henry and Landor.   Baby Melissa, Bones’ kid sister, had been a surprise baby and is twenty-five years younger than Bones.  She is actually younger than Jo, much like their babies are going to be older than Bones and Carol’s baby.

“Carol and I will be there in another two days.”

Jim nods.  He wonders if he should say something.

Anything…

“Well, that’s it.”  He looks at Jim like he wants to say something but doesn’t then turns and leaves.

And Jim... Jim just watches him do so.


	18. Chapter 17

Georgia welcomes him with her heat and humidity.  It’s scorching hot when the shuttle touches down a little before noon.

He collects his bags and spots Donna and Fred in the crowd that has gathered.  She pulls him into a hug.  The McCoys minus Bones are big huggers.  He shakes Fred’s hand then they make their way to the car park where Fred has parked the car.

While Fred drives, Donna catches him up on the family drama.  

“Henry got married again last fall.  Says third time is the charm. That he is definitely the one, but nobody believes it.”  Jim catches her rolling her eyes from the rear view mirror.

“Landor and Jackie are ‘xpectin’ their fourth soon.”  Jim remembers they had triplet boys the first time.  

Bones had said.  ‘Penitence for all the trouble he and Henry caused Mama growing up.’

“Another boy, Jackie is completely jealous of you and Jo by the way,”  Donna adds.  

Jim feels his breath catch.  He’s still not sure how they feel.  Donna turns in her seat, so she’s facing him.

She reaches back and squeezes his leg.  “Len not take it well?”

Jim shakes his head.

“He’ll come around.  Either when he sees his baby girl in her wedding dress, she’s stunning in it by the way."  She wags her eyebrows at him knowingly, the McCoy's all have expressive eyebrows.  "I went with her to her last dress fitting.  Or when the babes are born.  Happened with Mama and Pa when Jo was born.  They were furious with Len, simply furious.”  Donna pats his leg.  “In case you’re wondering we’re happy for you guys.”

“Thanks.”

Fred grunts as he pulls the car to the stop.  The McCoy Manor looms in front of them.  A little woman with pepper salted hair and Bones’ eyes is waiting for them out front.

_Eleanora McCoy…_

_Bones’s mother…_

Donna smiles at him encouragingly as they get out of the car.

“Jim!”

She comes to him.

“Ma'am.”

He definitely deserves it when she slaps him.  Even Donna flinches; however, he’s definitely surprised when she hugs him.

“When I told you, you’ll always be family.  I didn’t think you go so literal.” She scolds him, which is definitely deserves.

“Grandma.”  

He sees Jo’s swollen belly before the rest of her.  She’s wearing a tank top and pair of booty shorts.  She looks bigger than when he ask saw her on video phone last night.

“Don’t grandma me, and what you doing up?”  Bones's mother chides. She leaves Jim to rushes to Jo’s side.

“I’m fine grandma.”

“You look ready to pop is what you are, young lady.”

Jim doesn’t deny that.  He doesn’t think she can grow much more.  Her entire belly looks low and like its ready to fall off.  The only thing preventing that seems to be Jo’s hands which are cupped firmly around the underside of her belly.

“Grandma…”  Jo whines as her grandma turns her around and back into the house.  She gives Jim a firm pout.

“Don’t grandma me sweet pea,” she chides.  “Now where did that belly wrap get to?”

“It itches.”

“Joanna Honey McCoy.”

“It’s in my bedroom.  I think.”  She answers, drawing her words out like the southern girl that she is.

“Melissa!”

“What, ma?”  A voice shouts from the upstairs bedroom.

“Can you get Jo’s belly wrap?”

_Silence..._

“Melissa!”

Jim hears stomping.  A door swing open and then “she has two feet.  She can get it herself.”

“Melissa Jane McCoy ”

Jim opens his mouth to offer to get it but closes it immediately when Bones' mother looks at him.

“Fine!”  

He hears more stomping as he pulls off his shoes.  Donna comes up behind him.  “And then there’s Mel.” She looks at him sympathetically.

Jim nods.

He had thought she would grow at of it.  It seems she clearly didn’t.  When Bones brought him back with him nearly fifteen years ago, nine year old Melissa McCoy had declared that Jim Kirk was going to be her husband.

She had gently let her down then.

Bones' mother comes back.  “Jo’s in the drawing room.  You can go relax there while I make us all a nice cool batch of lemonade.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Leaving Donna?”

“Yeah, Fred and I got some errands to run.  We’ll be back for dinner.”

She nods.  She waves her daughter and son-in-law away before turning back around.  “Go on.  And what is this ma’am business?  You’re going to be my grandbaby’s husband soon.  You can at least call me Eleanora.”

“Yes, m… Eleanora.”

“Good boy.” She pats his cheeks then shoos him away.

He thought he remembered the way, but the McCoy Manor is huge.  Lost, he doesn’t pay attention and feels something, or someone collide into him.

“Hey, watch…”

He looks down.

He recognizes her immediately, Melissa McCoy.  Like Jo, she has also grown into a stunning young woman.  The scowl on her face immediately disappears and is instead replaced with a smile.  “Jim!”

“Mel, sorry about that.”  Jim scratches the back of his neck.  

Her smile widens.  “No worries.  I didn’t know you had arrived yet. Mama said Len wasn’t coming for another day.”

“He isn’t.”

“Oh.”  Her eyes widen for a moment then smiles.  “If you’re not busy, I could show you around.  We could go on a horse…”

The smile falls on her face.  “Jo.”

“Mel.”

He feels Jo’s warmth as she snakes around him.  “I can show Jim around.”  

“Of course.”  She smiles then disappears.

“Unbelievable,” he hears Jo mutter.  

“Hey.” He kisses her then her swollen belly.  The babies seem to recognize him and give him a few big, excited kicks in response.  

When he pulls away, the displeased look hasn’t left her face.

“Jo, honey?”

“I hate her.”

“Joanna.”  Jim admonishes.  “She’s your aunt.”

“Who was totally trying to hit on her pregnant _niece’s_ fiancé.”  She pulls a face.  “Like who even does _that_?”

“I’ll talk to her.”

Jo looks torn.

He kisses her again.  “Don’t worry.”  He kisses her.  “I love you, only you.  I’m not going anywhere, okay?”

Jo nods. She sniffs a little.  “Damn hormones.”

“Now let’s go back to the drawing room before Eleanora finds you up.”

Jo rolls her eyes as Jim leads her back.  She settles against Jim on the couch whose hands had curled protectively over her abdomen.

The girls kick excitedly.  “They miss their daddy,” Jo says.  She smiles as a pair of tiny feet press against her skin.  It still amazes him to see it.

“Donna says she went to your dress fitting with you?”

“And Mom, and both Grandmas and at this point feels like the whole entire town.”  Jo sighs.  “Everyone and anyone has an opinion.  The fucking mailman even has an opinion.  Why didn’t we elope again?”

Jim smiles.

“Because you want this.”

_And Bones will kill me._

She looks at him.  

“Every girl dreams of looking like a princess on her wedding day.”

“I look like a beached whale.”  Jo grumbles.

“You don’t.  You’ll look amazing.”

Jo raises an eyebrow.  “I’m all belly and boobs.  I guess you like that though.”  She wrinkles her face.

“Hey.”  Jim tries to sound wounded. He never thought he would find pregnant women gorgeous, but he definitely finds Jo to be.  Pregnancy suits her well.  He draws her into his arms.  

He gently slides his hand down her shorts.  

“Jim,” she moans.  “Don’t start something you can’t finish.”

“Yes sweetheart.”  Jim mumbles before kissing her again.  

Because God he misses _this._

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

Melissa corners him that night.  He’s jet lagged from traveling from Centauri to San Francisco then to Georgia. His body still thinks it’s daytime.

He doesn’t think tossing and turning will do either he or Jo any good.  Sleep has been hard for Jo lately, and the fact she is asleep now is a good thing.

He leaves her tucked between a mountain of pillows.  He adjusts her blanket, so it covers her swollen belly.  

He makes it to the stable where the horses are.  It’s quiet and much cooler now that it’s dark out.

So he doesn’t even hear Melissa when she enters.

“Hey.”  She’s beaming at him.  “Jim.”

“Mel.”

He backs away a little.  He’s a little wary of her presence.  He has promised Jo he would talk to her, but this late at night he doesn’t want anyone to get the wrong idea.

“Jet lagged?”

“Yeah.  What about you?”

She shrugs.  “Thought about going for a night time ride.  Get away from it all.  Want to come?”  She beams at him.

“Hmm, I don’t…”

“Come on Jim.”  She bats her eyelids.  “It’ll be fun.”  

The back of his mind is telling him it's a bad idea.  He’s marrying Jo in less than a week.  They have two little girls coming.

But this is Bones’ sister, Jo’s aunt…

It’s not like he can avoid this forever, so he says ‘yes’.  Melissa’s eyes immediately light up.  They take a pair of horses who Jim swears gives them the stink eye for waking them up.  

He hasn’t ridden a horse in a long while.  He’s awkward getting on, an awkwardness attributed to both old age and being rusty.

He knows Mel is holding back a giggle as she watches.  He regains his momentum moments later, the years of experience of living on a farm in Riverside all comes back to him despite the fact he hasn't been on a horse in a while.

They are soon crashing through the woods like ghosts in the night.  He feels free and alive, something he hasn’t experienced in a long time.

They are both breathless on life when Mel glides them to a stop.  She leads both horses to the riverbank before coming back to him.  They sit on an overturned log.  The woods are alive with the sound of summer cicadas chirping around them.

They don’t say anything for a while.

Mel breaks the silence first.

“Jim.”

He turns.  

Her bright hazel eyes the ones she shares with Bones and Jo look up at him.  It’s the first time that Jim realizes the similarities between Jo and Mel.  They could almost pass for sisters.

The moonlight is like a halo around her dark brown hair, it provides a heavy contrast.

She leans forward.  Her breath is heavy.  

She closes her eyes.

_No…_

His brain lights up.

“Melissa.”  He pushes back.  

She didn’t just…

“Damn,” she looks sad.  A red blush runs over her cheeks.  “I really thought that would work.”

_Christ._

“Melissa, I know you liked me for years, and I should have set you straight.”

“You like Jo, and not me.  Right, it’s always like that.  Everyone likes Joanna McCoy, the popular one, the adored one.”

“Mel.”  He words draw a deep pain through his heart.  She is after all still Bones' sister.

“Great, now I get your pity.”  She looks ready to bolt.  

He grabs her wrist.  It’s tiny.

“Melissa McCoy, you are a strong, talented and a beautiful young woman.  Any man or woman who falls in love with you will be lucky.”

“But not you.”

“No,” he shakes his head.  “You don’t want me.”

“Why?”

“Because you deserve someone who will hang the sun and moon for you.  Someone who loves you, and only you.”

She looks at him once and breaks into tears.

“Mel?”

It’s angry, fat tears.  They stain her face.  Jim impulsively places his hand on her shoulder.  When she calms down, she’s all smiles, but Jim notices a distance has formed between them.   

They don’t get back until almost sunrise.  Jo is asleep, her hand is curled protectively over her swollen abdomen.  When he slides up against her, her eyes flutter open.

“You okay?”

“Yeah.”  He nods because he is.  

Jo snuggles up against him and doesn’t say anything further.  

At that moment,he realizes just how lucky he is to have her.


	19. Chapter 18

They spend almost the whole day in bed giving each other lazy kisses.  In between the kisses, Jo shows him the wedding plans.  It seems Jo has negotiated and won where their ceremony is taking place with Jocelyn at the expense of their reception ceremony location.  Their reception is going to be held in the ballroom of an old chateau.  

He thinks it’s a fine place but doesn’t say so because he knows it’s not what Jo wanted.  

They only get out of bed to go to the cake tasting Jo has schedule.  Eleanora gives them both a knowing look before giving them the keys to her car.

He’s thankful that unlike her daughter.  Eleanora’s car is automatic.  Unfortunately, it’s almost forty degrees Celsius, and Eleanora’s car is an open top and door jeep.  Jim feels every bit of the heat and knows it must be ten times worse for Jo.

It’s a slow bumper to bumper drive into Atlanta that takes almost an hour even though it’s only a thirty kilometer drive.  His mind drifts to what if Jo went into labor and what happened to Jocelyn all those years ago.  He turns to Jo and his face almost goes white when he sees her clutching her abdomen.  

“Jo?”

She looks up.  She doesn’t look a bit concerned.  She frowns when she sees him.  “What’s wrong?”

“I… I had some horrible thought that you went into labor.”  He tells her because he can’t think of anything else to say.

“Not funny, Jim.  Leah and Maya are staying right here until after their mommy and daddy get married, right?”  She rubs her swollen belly.

Jim smiles at the fact that this isn’t the first time Jo has called the girls those names.  They have stuck since he blurted them out all those weeks ago.

“Jo, but say…”

“No,” she cuts him off.  “They are staying right here until at least after Friday.  The doctors here still think I can make it.”

“Okay honey.”  It does help to know Bones and Chapel will be there if all goes to hell, so he doesn't say anything else.

They make it to their appointment only three minutes early.  It’s a tiny little shop but with many impressive culinary works on display.

Jo tugs on his arm.  He looks at her and smiles as they walk inside.  Their presence is announced by a set of door chimes.  

A portly old lady with a kind smile hobbles out of the room when she sees them.  She pulls out a clipboard, a real clipboard.  Jim can’t even fathom a guess of where she got _that_ from.

She looks down then up at them.  “Ms. Joanna McCoy?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Pleased.”  She smiles at her.  “Was the traffic bad from Marietta?”

“A little.”  Jo smiles back.

“Hot day, especially with a little one.”

Jo chuckles.  “A bit, they are definitely active like their daddy.”  She beams up at Jim who smiles back at her.

“Oh.”  

Jim catches the shop owner’s eyes widen for a moment when she looks at him.  The smile on her lips fade for a moment.  The twinkle in her eyes is definitely lost when Jo confirms that Jim is her fiancé.

It hurts.  

This reality that they have created for themselves.  The fact that he is old enough to be her father.

That he is best friends with her father.

He helps Jo into her chair.  It seems to have won him some points with the shop owner.

An hour later he wonders how Jo did this for every other detail for the wedding.  He’s tasted so many different types of cake that he thinks he’ll become diabetic.  Jo who basically have two other little almost to term humans inside of her seems to be doing better.

The fact she can actually tell the difference between the different fillings impresses Jim.  By now he’s not sure he can tell even tell the difference between strawberry and blueberry with how coated his tongue feels.

He just nods pleasantly as Jo ranks the tiny cubes of cake they had been given.

He’s not sure how after all of this Jo ends up going with a white cake with strawberry cream filling though.  She orders a ten layer cake with all the trimmings, beading, sugar flowers and all.  It looks more like a work of art than a cake.

The owner promises it will be done in time and then finally they leave.  

“Ice cream?”  Jo asks after Jim starts the jeep.

He blinks.

“The girls want ice cream,” Jo pouts.  She takes his hand and places it over her swollen belly.  He feels the girls’ persistent, energetic kicks.  Jim wonders if it's due to the amount of sugar Jo has just consumed.

“Well, if you put it that way,” Jim smiles.  He pushes up the ends of her shirt and kisses the tip of bellybutton.  Jo giggles and pushes him away.  

“Jim!”

“What?”  He feigns innocence.

“You are hopeless.”

“Yep.  He smirks when Jo raises an eyebrow.  “In love.”

“And so cheesy.”  She moans then.  “God, I could totally do with some cheese.”

“I thought you wanted ice cream.”

“I do and cheese and brownies and…”

“Fondue?”

Drunk on love and life and filled with chocolate and cheese and all the trimmings, they find themselves on the beach hand and hand.  Jo giggles as the ocean waves tickle her toes.  

She has never looked more beautiful.  Her ebony hair laps around her neck.  Her hazel eyes sparkles in the night.  She’s like a lithe dancer in the night, a wood nymph, as she twirls on the beach.  

Jim hopes their daughters will be like their mama, fierce, bold and brave.  

She runs to him, like she’s not nine months pregnant, and pulls off her shirt and undo her shorts in the process.  She throws the clothes aside and wraps her body around his.  She’s kissing him as he undoes his pants.  He feels himself hardening to her touch.

“Jo,” he mumbles, breathless between kisses.

“I need you,” she’s rutting against him.  

“But…”

“Please.”

She looks at him with those eyes, and he can't say no.  She pulls him towards the water. It encircles them, covering them.  He finds her like always and slips inside without any resistance.   She moans and rolls her hips.  She’s hot and wet and swollen.

She comes twice before he does, filling her with his seed.

“Hey!  Get out of there!”

They turn to the beach.  An police officer is shouting at them.  They laugh as they walk back.  They say they are sorry and didn’t see the sign before he lets them go.  They gather their clothes and walk back to the car.

“Let’s get a hotel.”

He turns to Jo.

“Like in the old days.”

He knows what she is talking about.  When they first met and didn’t know who the other was, or at least in Jim’s case.

“Please.”

“No,” he says.

Her eyes widen.

“Not like the old days, with stolen kisses and lies, but as lovers, as partners,” he entangled his fingers around Jo’s.  His callused, already starting to wrinkle fingers, around her smooth fingers.  He tells himself to stop thinking about _that_.

“Okay.”  She squeezes his hand.  He looks at her.  Her hand is over her swollen belly.  She’s beaming.  She’s the most beautiful thing in the world.

They find a hotel nearby with an ocean view.  

They have sex until the first light of the sun.  Until Jo let’s out a cry, not of pleasure but of pain.  She doubles over, clutching her belly.

“Jo?”

She looks up, her eyes wide.  There are tears in her eyes.  “I think my water just broke.”

He stares back her, stunned.

She screams again.  It’s enough to jolt him out of it.

“Okay, okay we got this, baby.”  He rubs her arms.  He grabs his clothes.  They are still a little damp.  He bundles Jo up into a hotel robe for modesty.

“Can you walk?”

She nods.

She’s muttering under her breath that this is stupid, dumb.

He rubs circles in his back and helps her into the elevator.  It feels like an eternity before they reach the lobby.  He leads her to the couch.  There is a family with two kids and a mom there already.  The kids look at them with wide eyes.  

“Jim?”  She looks up.

“Let me get a taxi.”  He doesn’t think he is in the right mindset to drive.  Not only are neither one of them familiar with the surrounding, but Jo is definitely scared.

“Hurry?”

“Of course.”  

He kisses the top of her head and jogs to the front desk.  A taxi arrives in minutes.  The cab driver gives them an apprehensive look as Jim helps Jo inside.  

He doesn’t say anything when Jim tells him to take them to the hospital.  

He’s grateful she gets through the paperwork fast.  “It’s twins and almost thirty four weeks along rings alarms bells.”  She’s wheeled into labor and delivery within moments.  

Then…

Well, at least later they will have a good story.

“I got good news and bad news.”  The doctor says.  The images of the babies light up the room.

“What?”

“You’re not having any babies today.”

“But…”

“False labor.”

“My water broke.”

“Urine.”

He looks at her like he has seen this before.   He runs the wand over her abdomen.  “It shouldn’t be long though.  Baby A is fully engage.  She’s definitely getting to plus one.  I would say you could go at any time, but you’re barely effaced or dilating.”  He removes the wand and hands Jo a few sheets of tissues.  “Take it easy.  These last few days are hard but when the little ones are ready, they will come.”

He smiles at her.

They still leave the hospital feeling a bit foolish.


	20. Chapter 19

Bones and Carol arrive the next day.  Jim is glad because Eleanora has more people to harass and molly-coddle.  She directs her attention to Carol, chiding her about her size.

Jim hears her muttering under her breath.

“Too small, too small.”

He’s glad he isn’t the only one to think that.

Being so close to Bones all of a sudden poses new problems.  They still aren’t speaking.  Bones still hasn’t forgiven him, not that Jim blames him.  It’s just the past times he has been to Georgia, which is barely a handful to begin with, it had always been as Bones’ friend.

Jim catches the slip ups.

How it’s not Jim and Len but Len and Carol and Jim and Jo now.

He feels horrible and glad at the same time when Bones and Carol retire early.  It had been a long flight.  

Jo follows some after, and Jim comes along because he’s still not comfortable being left alone with Bo… Jo’s family.

It’s the not first time he has thought of these people as Bones’ family over Jo’s.

When Jo gets hungry in the middle of the night, he goes to the kitchen to find her something to eat.  The kitchen has a faint glow.  He doesn’t even think when he enters to find Bones there.  He looks up crazed and disheveled, a bowl of ice cream, a slice of Eleanora’s pie and a pickle in hand.

He wonders if there could have ever been a world where they could have avoided where they are now.  Where they could have been the friends who helped each other, navigated the perilous journey of having their significant others be pregnant at the same time.

He can’t though as long as it’s Jo, and he’s beginning to realize he doesn’t want any other living soul in this world to be the mother of his children.

“Jim.”  He says.

”Bones.”  He responds.

He doesn’t know what else to say.  It seems Bones doesn’t either.  “Carol...”

”Right, of course.  Can’t keep a pregnant woman waiting.”  He answers.

”Right.”

And Bones disappears just like that.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

He always thought baby showers were a women only event.  That the men would gather in a different room smoking cigars and drinking hard whiskey.

Instead it’s two days before the wedding, and he finds himself in a room surrounded by people he doesn’t know who have thrown Jo, Carol, and Jackie a joint baby shower.

It’s there he learns that Bones and Carol are having a little boy, and they are going to call him David, middle name undecided, McCoy.

He only knows because it seems Landor and Jackie were thinking of using that name too.

They have settled for Andrew instead.

Now he finds himself on the couch with Landor and Jackie’s boys and Jo’s half siblings staring him down.

Jim thinks this is worse than all the interrogations he has gone through during his whole career at Starfleet.  

He’s reminded of a different time, of a little girl with pigtails and missing teeth telling him she won’t forgive him if her daddy doesn’t come home.

That he can have him on loan _only_.

Now he’s marrying that little girl.

“So you’re marrying my sissy.”

“Yes.”

“You like her?”

“Very much.”

“That don’t matter.  He’s as old as Dad.”

“All our dads!”

“Okay, squirts.”  They turn.  “What you doing to Jim?”

“Jo!”  The kids scamper off the couch and run to her with their sticky paint covered hands.  The ones they had been finger painting with before they cornered Jim.  

Later Jo will say it was one of her favorite pictures they got at the event.  The one where the imprints of five pairs of hands are left on her swollen belly.

At the time, she’s less amused when the kids get paint on her.  

They shriek and run away when they realize what they have done.

By the end of the party, they both feel like the color pink has exploded in front of them.  As grateful as they are, Jim thinks he’ll be spending the better part of a day getting all the gifts shipped to Centauri.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

Then finally, finally it’s the night before the wedding.  It’s also when he realizes he doesn’t have a best man.  

He’s mid way through his bachelor party that Scotty and Chekov threw again.  The entire senior command crew had flown in for the occasion.

Scotty even jokes that he never expected Jim would be the next in their group of single men to settle down.

It’s not a particularly crazy bachelor party, not at all like the ones in the holo films.  They go to a bar in Atlanta and drink the night away.  Nobody leaves with a broken bone, hell, nobody has vomited either.  Jim wonders if it has to do with getting old and mellowing out.  He’s not sure that he likes it.

Still he spends the rest of the night going through his choices.  A year ago, the obvious choice would have been Bones, of course, that is definitely not an option anymore.  

The next choice was Sam, but Sam couldn’t make it.  The boys and Aurelan were sick, and Sam just couldn’t leave them as much as he wanted to.

And thus that only left one man.

He corners him as they leave.

“Spock, will you be my best man?”

The half Vulcan blinks.  He seems visibly surprised, and Jim can tell honored by the request.  He knows how to read Vulcan body language after spending a decade and a half with him.

“I would be honored, Jim.”


	21. Chapter 19.5: Jo’s Aside

The Georgia sun shines into her bedroom waking her up. Her dolls and stuffed animals all stand guard in a line against the wall.

She burrows deeper into her bed.

Her childhood bed and room...

Her glow in the dark stars that she had put up when she was eight to pretend she was in space with her dad are peeling around the edges.

She had never imagined growing up this would be her life…

Marrying a former starship captain, her Uncle Jim of all people and for his babies to be growing inside of her.

She loves this time of day when the babies are just waking up. She runs her fingers over her swollen belly. She smiles at flutters from their tiny feet and hands.  They are near out of space as a much their movements are less chaotic now than they had been.

“Hey baby girls, your mommy and daddy are getting married today. Then Daddy is taking Mommy away on a romantic honeymoon. Course Daddy doesn’t know Mommy knows. So you guys got to be patient, okay?”

She smiles when the babies kick back.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

She pushes herself out of bed and grabs a robe before walking out of the room. The house is still quiet.

It’s early morning. The sun hasn’t even peeked over the horizon.

She makes it downstairs at a slow pace. She hasn’t been able to see her toes in weeks and walking up and down stairs have become a chore.

Even this early in the morning, the air outside is stifling hot. She sits down on the swing set. Growing up, she had come to her grandparents’ house to get away from her mom, Clay and everything else in her life. It has always helped her to think and clear her head.

Today, she finds she can’t. Her heart feels like it’s racing.

She is getting married.

She is going to be Mrs. James T. Kirk.

She had never dreamt this could be possible. That she would ever marry Jim, Uncle Jim.

That she’s going to be a mama to two little girls. She places her hand over her silk robe that her maid of honor gave her.

The thought both scares and excites her.

“Can I join you?” Jo looks up to find her dad standing over her. He’s carrying two glass mason jars of what looks like ice cold lemonade. It’s even sweating down the sides.

She smiles.

“Of course.”

He hands her a jar and takes the seat next to her.

They sit there in silence. She can’t help but think of all the times she wished her dad had been there for her. The hours she sat in this exact position wishing for him while he was out in space seeing the universe.

Now that he is here, and they can’t talk.

She doesn’t want that. To be estranged from him, for her girls to not know their granddad because of ill feelings.

“I’m sorry, Daddy.”

“Jo.”

“I never meant to hurt you.”

“I know, baby girl.” He sighs. “I know.” He rubs her knuckles with his fingers. “I know. I just didn’t want you to get hurt. Jim…”

“Jim is a good man.”

He sighs. “He is, but he’s also reckless.”

She can’t help but smile. “Like someone else I know.”

She laughs at the eyebrow raise, a McCoy trait she has inherited.

“When did you get all grown up?” He shakes his head and smiles. “You love him?”

“Very much.”

“He’s good to you?”

“The best, daddy.”

“Good.” He pats her hand.

She intertwines her fingers with her dad’s. She realizes her heart is beating slower now. Like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders…

It’s not forgiveness, but it’s a start. A start to their healing process…

She just hopes Jim and her dad can too.


	22. Chapter 20

Jim learns in the South, families are huge.  It’s like an army, when the entire McCoy, Darnell and Threadway clans show up, they greatly dwarf Jim’s family and close friends.

That is not counting Jo’s friends from back home or at the Academy.

The little ceremony site that Jo had picked is almost bursting with people.  Jim isn’t sure how many more can fit inside.

He pulls himself away from the window.

He’s a nervous wreck.

He’s getting married.

James Tiberius Kirk is getting married.

He never thought this day would come.

That he would find someone in this universe for him.  That he would have found it in his best friend’s daughter.  That what had started as a fun weekend stand, had turned into something more.

That he would have met someone in the cosmos that he was willing to give up the cosmos for.  He always thought he would live and die in his chair, but that part of him is in the past now. His future is with Jo and their twin girls.

He’s going to be a husband and a father.

Two things he had never dreamt could be possible.

He clenches his fists and tries to take a deep breath.

There is a knock at the door.

He thinks it’s probably the photographer Jo hired or one of the other many vendors.  He has already been ambushed by two already, asking where this detail or that goes. It had left him bewildered.  Luckily, Jocelyn or one of Jo’s many relations had saved him, leading them away, answering their many questions.

That was how he was back in the groom’s quarters.  

_Alone…_

_Hiding out…_

The knock continues.  Jim sighs and pulls himself up off the chair.  He pulls open the door, an actual door and not an automatic door.

His breath catches…

“Bones.”

He’s already dressed.  He’s in his Starfleet dress uniform, his numerous medal glisten in the dying sunlight.

“Jim.”

His face doesn’t give away anything.  Jim still feels the large distance between them.

“Do you want to come in?”  Jim asks.

Because he’s afraid, because he doesn’t know what Bones wants.

Bones nods.  He steps inside, stops, then completely enters the room.  Jim doesn’t know whether or not to leave the door open.

The sudden of image of Bones murdering him appears in his mind.  He shakes it away. He wouldn’t.

He closes the door.  

Bones is standing in the middle of the room already.

“Drink?”  Jim offers.  He has a large collection.

“Whiskey.”  Bones answers.

He knows it takes longer than necessary to pour two glasses of whiskey.  But he needs to because he doesn’t know what Bones is going to say to him.  Finally he can’t prolong the inevitable anymore. He turns and hands Bones his glass.  His hand shakes

Bones takes it.

It doesn’t shake.

_The steadiest hands in the universe…_

Jim pushes that thought aside.

They simultaneously take a swing of their whiskey.  The cold fire water runs down Jim’s lips.

“Wow that’s good.”  Bones comments.

“Yeah, they gave us the good stuff.”  

“Admiral Perfect Hair.”

They both freeze then.  A jib that Scotty had started years ago.

“Bones, I…”

“Jim, I…”

They say simultaneously.   They look away simultaneously. That distance is back again.  

They look at each other.

“I’m sorry,” Jim says finally.  He blurts it out like he’s twenty again and not twice that amount.  Because he hates this, this distance between Bones. “I’m sorry I messed around with Jo.  I’m sorry I didn’t stop when I found out it was Jo. I’m sorry I got her pregnant. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”  

Now that he’s started, he can’t stop.  He keeps apologizing, apologizing for everything he has done.  Every stupid thing he has done.

He apologizes until his throat hurts.  

And Bones just stands there, silent, emotionless.

_This is it._

“Bones?”  He whispers.

He’s afraid Bones has turned to a statue.

He finally sighs.

“Damn it.”  He mutters finally.  He finishes his glass of whiskey before speaking.  “I don’t forgive you.”

His heart feels like it’s going to shatter.

“I don’t think as a father I can, but as a friend.”  He runs his hands through his hair. “I’m happy for you, for you and Jo.  I’m happy you finally found someone even though it is my daughter. But…”

The _but_ …

“You make her happy, a happiness I haven’t seen in her ever.  That’s all a father could possibly ask for, for their children to be happy.  I can’t be angry at you for that.”

It’s not forgiveness, but it’s more than Bones has given him before.  

He nods his head.

Before he can say anything else the world needs them again.   They have a schedule to keep, but there is a tightness in Jim’s body that goes away.  He feels lighter than he has in weeks.

Then…

Then he’s at the front of the altar with Spock beside him.

Jo’s entourage of bridesmaids enter then the ring bearer and the flower girl.

Then...

Jim feels his heart drop as the wedding march starts playing.

The guests stand up.

From the arch they have formed, down the flower petals that have been sprinkled on the ground, he sees her.

In Bones’ arms, she looks like she is guiding towards him.

Jim doesn’t think he has ever seen anything more beautiful.  

She’s like an angel that has come down from heaven in her long flowing wedding gown.  Her gown hugs her figure, accentuating the changes that impending motherhood has brought her.  A weave of flowers has been braided into her hair that blows gently in the wind. She’s holding a large bouquet of bright blue roses.

She’s beaming and smiling as she walks towards him.  

Jim feels his heart swell.

That this beautiful, smart, wonderful young woman chose a man like him to spend her days with.

He feels tears pooling in his eyes as Jo approaches him.  Her eyes sparkle with happiness.

She is definition of perfection.  

Then she’s there standing before him.  She hugs Bones. He kisses her cheeks. His eyes are wet as he shakes Jim’s hand.  

The unspoken words as Bones gives him his daughter.

Then it’s just them.

Even though there are hundreds of guests gathered, for Jim it feels like they are the only two people in this world at that moment.  

He doesn’t remember much of the ceremony.  It passes in a blur.

It’s feels like it’s over before it started.  He wants to say redo when the preacher says, “you may now kiss the bride.”

And all thoughts of redo fly out the door.  

Jim leans over and captures Jo’s lips with a kiss.  He feels the hot flashes from the cameras. The cheers and hoots of congratulations in the background that seem so far away.  

He pulls away reluctantly.  Jo beams at him. “Hey.”

“Hey,” she whispers back before taking his hand.  Hand in hand for the first time they walk down the aisle as man and wife.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

“Mrs. James Kirk.”  Jim whispers into Jo’s ear for what seems like the hundredth time.  It is two hours into the reception. Dinner has been served. Both Jim and Jo are too excited, too nervous to eat much of anything.  There are walking around to each table thanking the guests for coming.

“Jim stop it,” Jo hisses back.

“Why?”

“Because if you don’t, you’re going to give Mrs. Hogkins a heart attack.”  Jo whispers back.

A first meters away an old lady, who looks over hundred, is glaring at them in a way that seems to imply she thinks they don’t notice.

Jim ignores the glare and kisses his bride.

When he looks back, there is a tint of red on her cheeks.  

He smiles.

And it’s not because she is blushing, but because he is happy.

Really happy.


	23. Chapter 21

As beautiful as Jo is in her wedding dress, Jim finds the nude, spread eagle form before him like the goddess of the sun.

Her wedding dress lays at a puddle on the floor.  

Her swollen abdomen is coated in a layer of sweat. The girls’ imprints are more prominent now.  Her skin is almost paper thin. Everyone, Jim included, is amazed how long Jo has carried the girls.

“Are you just going to stand there?”  Jo breaks him out of his thoughts.

She’s wet and leaking, ready for him.  

“Of course not,” he says.  A smile on his face as he pulls off his clothes.  They fall into a heap on the ground.

“Mine,”  he whispers as he buries inside of her.  Like the hundreds of times before, it feels like he’s coming home.  That this is home.

“Yours,” Jo replies back as he rolls his hips.

He kisses his lips, her neck, her collarbone, and then works on her right nipple.  It’s dark and angry. It hardens to his touch.

“Jim!”  She moans as he licks the tip.  She arches upwards.

He groans at that moment, his cock touches a new spot, a good spot.  The movement sends him over the edge as Jo follows.

He falls off of her and lays down next to her a smile on his face.  She turns and looks at him. They link hands together.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”


	24. Chapter 21.5: Jo's Aside

“Where we going?”  Jo asks. It’s one in the afternoon the next day.  They had spent the morning in bed in each other’s arms.  They had only gotten up because they had a flight to catch.

“You’ll see.”  He kisses her as he leads her through the busy airport terminal.  Their matching wedding bands glisten in the sunlight. He realizes for once he doesn’t care about the inevitable stares they are getting.

Jo laughs.  She’s wearing a floral sundress and bright red heels.  

She raises an eyebrow when they step outside onto the tarmac.

He stops her.  Jo looks at him.  A smile appears on his face when a man driving cart appears.  He pulls to a stop before them.

“James and Joanna Kirk?”  He asks.

_Joanna Kirk…_

She suddenly realizes she likes the sound of it, a lot.

“Yes.”

“Climb on board.”

Jo looks at him confused.  He doesn’t give anything away as he helps her on board.  The ride is a short one. They weave between the large passenger planes until they reach a more secluded area of the airport.  Here is where the custom planes are parked.

“Jim!”

A smiling, bubbling man comes forward.  He’s wearing a blue jean overalls and is covered in grease.

“Bill!”  Jim meets the man’s smile.  He had met the other man years ago at a bar.  They had hit it off instantly.

Bill pulls Jim into a tight bear hug, pulling him off his feet before he turns to Jo.

“Is this your gorgeous bride?”

“Yep, Jo,  this is Bill.   Bill, this is Jo.”

Jo smiles, still perplexed.  Bill smiles, pulling her into a hug.  “You’re going to have a good time.”

Jo raises an eyebrow, still confused.

Bill smiles.  He fishes out a ring of keys and passes them to Jim.  “Hank, will meet you at the drop off point.”

“Thanks.”  Jim takes the keys.  He ushers Jo to one of the planes surrounding them.  Jo blinks when Jim leads them inside.

It’s sparse, just a cockpit and wide empty space.  It reminds Jo of a freighter, except the walls, ceiling and floor all seem to be cushioned.  

Jim doesn’t say anything and heads straight for the cockpit.  

“Your throne.”   He motions at the copilot seat.

Jo raises an eyebrow.  While she has completed her introductory and intermediate piloting classes, she doubts in her current state she can simultaneously reach the pedals and steering wheel.  Jim helps her with the harness, which dig uncomfortably everywhere. The girls are equally uncomfortably and make it very known. They are starting to run out of room, and she’s not sure how much more she can grow..   

Jim kisses her sympathetically.  

“It’s not far,” he breathes against her cheeks, before taking his seat.  

Jo rolls her eyes.  

True to his word, they do take off shortly, and it’s not far.  They break through the atmosphere, and Jim puts the craft into orbit around the Earth.  Jo raises an eyebrow, confused.

Jim just smiled at her before pressing a button on the control panel.  He releases himself and Jo from their harnesses.

And…

She suddenly feels weightless.  She feels free and light. A feeling she hasn’t felt in weeks.  She almost forgets she’s pregnant.

She glides through the craft and realizes this is why it’s mostly empty.

Jim pulls her into a hug.  “Do you like it?”

She answers with, “why didn’t we come here earlier?”

And Jim…

Jim laughs.

Time seems meaningless here.  The quiet of space and the Earth below them…

It’s only when Jo’s stomach growls that she remembers time has meaning.

“I guess we should go?”

“Go?”

“To our dinner reservation, in Paris.”

“Paris?”

She had never been to Paris.  

_The city of love…_

It’s something she haven't thought she believed in until now.

“Paris.”

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

Jo wakes up to the sound of rain.

It’s the last day of their honeymoon.  They have spent the last week in Paris.  She’s proud to say they didn’t spent their whole time sequestered in their hotel room.

They had found time to do touristy things.  

They had even gone shopping.  They had found a children’s boutique, and currently there is a large pile of baby clothes in the corner of their hotel room.

She lets out a happy sigh.  She stretches her toes and her hand runs over her swollen abdomen.  The girls are thankfully asleep.

She turns to Jim.  There’s a faint smile on his face.  His wrinkle lines seem to fade when he’s asleep.  She notices there are more grey hairs today.

_Jim…_

Who she had once known as her dad’s best friend, her Uncle Jim, who is now her husband.  The ring on her finger, the matching one on his, symbolizes their marriage, their love.

She shakes these thoughts out.  She doesn’t want to be introspective this early in the morning.

It is early.  The clock on their nightstand flashes seven.  

She wonders why she’s awake, what had awoken her when she notices that her PADD is lit up.  She has a message.

She can’t imagine who would be trying to contact her.  She reaches for her PADD. She struggles with the task.  Her abdomen is much too big, too heavy, for even these simple tasks.  As much as she loves being pregnant, she is wishing for these final days to be over.

She finally manages to reach the PADD.  She fumbles it. It crashes to the ground.

“Shit.”  She mutters.

“Jo?”

Jim blinks awake.

“Sorry.”  She says sheepishly, trying to reach the PADD without getting up, not that she can reach it even if she does get up.  “I dropped my PADD.”

Jim kisses her lips then reaches over and easily picks it up.  There is a frown on his face.

She has managed to sit up now.  “What is it?”

“It’s Tanner.”

“Tanner?”  

She hasn’t thought about her advisor in weeks.

“What does he want?”

She leans over and lets out a gasp.

He’s gotten permission for her to come take her finals. She can still finish on time if she passes and goes back to the Academy in the fall. She can still graduate from the Academy.

“Jo?”  Jim looks at her.

Their fingers snake to her swollen abdomen.

She knows Jim will support her with whatever she chooses.  She knows she’ll have to chose.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

“I can’t believe I’m doing this.” Jo says the fifth time this morning as she combs out her hair to put into an Academy appropriate ponytail.  It’s the only thing Academy appropriate about her.

They have been back on their honeymoon for almost three weeks, which Jo has been using to study.

Today also marks her as officially being thirty-eight weeks along, one more week than the doctors had predicted she would reach in her pregnancy.  She has an appointment with Chapel tomorrow.

She can already predict what Chapel is going to say.

“They will come when they are ready.”

Which Jo knows isn’t anytime soon.  She hasn’t felt any signs of labor, which is why she had been okay with the test date Tanner offered her.  She decided she wants to do it, and it’ll be easier to get the tests over with before the girls come.

“You are amazing.”  She’s in her cadet reds.  “Cadet Kirk.” Jim can’t be prouder of his wife that she is going back.

“I don’t feel it.”  Jo turns to her side.  However it doesn’t mean now seeing herself in her cadet reds, she doesn’t feel terrified.

“What if I fail?”

“You won’t.”

“It’s been weeks since I been to class.”

“And you knew the material before you even stepped into class on day one.”

“What if I go into labor?”

“Starfleet Medical is right there.”  Jim kisses her lips. “You got this Joanna Kirk.  You want this. ‘member? Being a captain is your dream, and from what I heard they are building the next generation Enterprise.”  

Jo laughs.  “They are _not_ giving me the Enterprise.  They are probably going to give it to some high ranking decorated person with years of experience.”

“Never say never.”  Jim grins. He backs up and picks up his PADD.  “Smile.”

“Oh my god, no Jim.”  

“Yes.”  Instead he hits the record button.  “Hey baby girls. Here’s your mama at thirty eight weeks with you guys.  Doesn’t she look stunning?”

Jo rolls her eyes.  However she does pose for the camera long enough for Jim to get a few seconds of footage.  He sets down the PADD and kisses her again.

“Have a good day.”

“You too.  See you at five?”

“Wouldn't miss it?”

Jim smiles which gives her the courage to step outside the door.

However, outside of their apartment, she no longer feels as sure.  It’s been weeks since she has been back on the grounds of the Academy.  

It’s still summer, so she doesn’t run into as many cadets.  The ones that she does barely notice she is there. It seems they have moved on to other gossip; she is no longer the talk of the Academy.

She smooths out her blouse, takes a deep breath and walks into the command building.  The pristine white walls greet her. It’s like she has never left.

She bounces on her heels as she waits for the elevator. She can do this.  She clenches and unclenches the straps of her bag.

A single ding signals its arrival.

She steps inside and waits as it takes her upstairs.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

Ten hours later she steps out of the building.  Her brain feels like goop. Her body feels like it wants to murder her.

But there is a smile on her face.  It widens when she sees Jim sitting by the fountain.  He’s reading a honest to god book.

“Jim!” She calls out not caring that she is shouting.

He looks up.

He sets down his book.

She feels like a little girl again as she ‘runs’ to him.  He opens his arms as she collides against his chest.

“I passed.”  She whispers.

“Jo.”

She looks up.  He is beaming and smiling as he hugs her tighter.

She doesn't think she could be happier. 

“I love you, Jim Kirk,” she whispers as she kisses him not caring who sees them.


	25. Chapter 22

“I hate you, James Kirk!”  Jo roars. She tightens her grip on his hand.  It’s so tight he wonders how long before his fingers snap off.  “You are not to allow to touch me again.”

“Never again!”

In any other situation, he should be worried.  

But this is the fourth time this week, so Jim is kind of used to it.  He’s used to feeling like his fingers are going to snap off. He’s used to Jo yelling at him.

Because in the end, he knows she’s experiencing much worse.

So he acts the part of the supportive husband as he helps her onto the examination table.  The nurse on duty looks wide eyed and scared.

It’s once again a different nurse.   “Let me go get the doctor.” She says before backing out of the room.

“Jo, I think you scared her.”

“She’s not the one birthing out two babies.  Two big babies…” She glares at him. 

Like it’s his fault that the girls are big.  

“Ooo,” Jo moans.  She clenches his hand again and buries her hand against his broad chest.  Jim draws circles down her back.

Then like the many before and the many that will come after, it passes.  There is a sheen of sweat across her face.

“You’ll never allowed to touched me again,” she says.

“Amen.”  

They both look up as Bones walks up to their bed.

Jo rolls her eyes.

“Where’s Chapel?”  Jo narrows her eyes.  He’s in his Medical blues and holding a tricorder.

“Hello to you too, sweetheart.”  He says as he scans her abdomen.

“Dad…”

“Lunch break, Jo.  Calm down.” He snaps his tricorder close.  He pats her arm. “Don’t worry. Your old man will just be the anxious grandpa and not the doctor.  Anyways…”

Both he and Jo look at Bones with expectant eyes.

He’s almost certain Bones will say it’s another false alarm.

The thing is Jo has made it to thirty seven weeks and beyond.  She’s creeping up to forty weeks which is practically unheard of for twin pregnancies.

The girls are both creeping up to five kilos each which is massive even for a singleton baby.

“Not yet, baby girl.”

“They are never coming.”  Jo bemoans. “They’re be toddlers at this rate.”

Jim looks at Bones.

“I’m going to be pregnant forever.”

“Not forever.”  Bones pats her arm.

“I feel like everyone has been saying that forever too.”

“Can’t you give her something?”  Jim asks because he feels like he should.

“No, not short of drugs.  Have you?”

“I’ve eaten my weight twice over in spicy concoctions and walked to New Vulcan and back.”  Jo glares at them.

Bones looks at her sympathetically.  “My shift is about over. Why not come over for dinner?  Carol could use the company.” 

Unlike Jo who can’t seem to go into labor, Carol had gone into early labor because the universe is like that.

She’s been on mandatory bed rest and drugs to keep little David inside as long as possible.  It’s why they have stayed on Earth and not returned to Alpha Centauri.

Jo doesn’t say anything, so Jim agrees for the both of them.  It’ll be nice to not eat at the restaurant. He helps Jo off the table.  

He takes her bag and leads her to the waiting room.  She collapses heavily into a chair. He squeezes her hand sympathetically before looking around the room.

It’s more crowded than usual.  

She lets out another moan and buries her face against Jim’s chest.  Jim runs his fingers through her hair.

It’s how Bones finds them a few minutes later.  However he doesn’t acknowledge them. He’s frowning at his communicator.  He’s clearly worried about something.

Jo seems to notice too as she lifts her head. 

“Dad?”

“Bones.”

Bones doesn’t have time to answer when a nurse calls out to him.  She’s running. Jim knows when someone is running in a hospital it means something is wrong.  She too doesn’t acknowledge them. “Dr. McCoy, it’s your wife. They just brought her in.”

Bones pales.

“They’re prepping her for her surgery.”  

Bones looks at them.

“Go.”

“We’ll be okay.”

Jo tightens her grip on his hand.

“We’ll be here,” Jim finishes.  Because it’s Carol, because it’s Bones’ son.

Bones nods and quickly follows the nurse away.  

Then the wait begins.

It’s long and hard,

It feels like an eternity has past.  

It seems the whole hospital knows about Bones, Carol and the baby, and who they are, so they are left in peace.

Jo is too miserable to go to the cafeteria with him, so he leaves her in the waiting room.

When he returns, he finds Jo rocking back and forth against the wall.  She doesn’t seem to notice that he has returned. She flinches when he touches her arm.

“Food?”

“Not hungry.”

“Jo.”

She hasn’t eaten since lunch which was hours ago, and even then she barely ate anything.  It had been that way for the last few days.

“Fine.”  

She sits down next to him and takes the sandwich.  She’s eaten only a quarter of her sandwich when Chapel shows up.  She walks over to them.

“Carol?”

“The baby?”

They say simultaneously.

“Stable, they managed to stop the labor at the last second.”  

They both let out a relieved sigh.  “Your dad wanted me to come check on you.”

“Still cookin’,” Jo grumbles as Chapel pulls out her tricorder.  They have gone through too many false alarms to hope for anything different, 

However when Chapel looks up, she does say something different.  “Ready to meet the little ones?”

Jim coughs on his sandwich.

“Really?”

“Yep,” Chapel smiles.


	26. Chapter 23

And then everything seems to move at almost twice the speed.

They are ushered into the labor and delivery ward.  A standard Starfleet issued birthing chair awaits Jo and a standard Starfleet issued chair awaits Jim.  Neither looks comfortable.

Jo doesn’t seem to notice as two orderlies help her into her chair.  She lets out a small cry of pain as they position her legs into the stirrups.

“The doctor will be in shortly.”

With that they leave.

“Jim?”

She suddenly looks like a little girl, young and terrified.  

He takes her hand and kisses it.  “You’ll doing good.”

Jo squeezes his hand, hard.  “God it hurts so bad.”

“I know.”

He doesn’t really, but he can imagine.

She breathes through five more contractions before speaking again.  “Where is the doctor?”

Jim stands up.

“Where you going?”

“To find the doctor.”  Jim says.

“No!”

“Jo?”

“I mean, don’t leave me.”  Jo moans as another contraction hits her.

Thankfully Jim doesn’t have to answer when Bones appear.  “Daddy.”

“Hey baby girl.”  He kisses her forehead.  He’s changed into a pair of clean scrubs.  He kisses her forehead. “Chapel told me you went into labor.”

Jo nods.  She lets out another whimper as another contraction hits.  Bones finally turns to him now. “How many has she had since she been admitted?”

“Seven, no eight, eight.” 

Bones nods.  

He looks at her vitals that are flashing over head.

“You sure you don’t want some pain killers, sweetheart?”  He rubs her legs.

Jo shakes her head.  “All natural, daddy. If the cave woman can do it, so can I.”

Bones nods.  He snaps on a pair of glove.  “Let’s see how far along you are shall we?”

He sits down between her legs.  Jo turns to Jim. He rubs her knuckles.  She gasps as she she feels another contraction.  “Breath baby.” Bones rubs her abdomen and waits as it passes.

“Well?”

“Almost four centimeters.”

“Fuck.”

“Joanna,” because Bones is still her dad.

“Sorry.”  Jo doesn’t look it.  She closes her eyes before they snap open again.  

“How’s Carol?”  

Jim is amazed Jo still remembers.

“Resting, thankfully we stopped the labor in time.”  Bones suddenly looks tired.

“Thank god.”  Jo whispers. “And mama?”

“On her way.  She took the first flight out.”

Jo nods and sinks back into the chair.

Bones leaves then soon after, with advice that she can walk around if she wants to.

She does want to.

They find themselves in a hallway with other couples in different stages of labor.  Jim doesn’t think about the fact that most of the other fathers are much younger than he is.  He concentrates on the fact that Jo needs him.

Eventually they make it to Carol’s room.  She’s awake now. 

Carol looks pale.  She does smile when she sees them and waves them in. 

“I heard from your dad.”

“You okay?”

Carol nods.  “Little man just wants to see the world.”  Carol rests her hand on her swollen abdomen.

“And beat his nieces,” Jo laughs.

Carol laughs.  However she stops mid laugh.  She doubles over. Without even asking Jim knows something is wrong.  A river of blood leaks from between her legs.

“Carol!”

Jo’s eyes widens.  Her own condition briefly forgotten as she looks at Jim.  Luckily, the biobed goes off. The room is filled with doctors and nurses. They barely notice they are in the room, only Bones does at the last second.

“Jo?”

“Go.  We got this,” she tightens her hand around Jim’s.

“Go Bones.”

He sees the slight hesitation then finally he nods.

“We got this.”

Jo nods and smiles.  “Yep.”

They are back in their room when Bones comes back an hour later.  He look tired but proud.

He’s pushing a bassinet.

“Bones?”

“Daddy?”

“Carol’s fine.”

“And?”

“Would you like to meet your baby brother?”

Jo loosens her fingers from Jim and sits up a little straighter.  “Yeah.” She’s grinning from ear to ear as Bones picks up the tiny little blue bundle.  There is a tiny little woolen hat peeking out from the cloth. He sets the bundle in Jo’s waiting arms.

“You’re so tiny.”  Jo marvels. Looking back up at Bones. 

“Yep, but a little fighter.” 

“Hey buddy.  I’m your sister.”  Jo cooes. “Did you know you beat your nieces?”  

Jo grimaces.

Seeing the onslaught of another contraction, without thinking, Jim takes the baby from Jo.

Now in his arms, Jim realizes the baby looks a lot like Carol.  

_Blond hair and blue eyes…_

He smiles when he sees the McCoy frown though, the same one he shares with his half sister.

“He’s beautiful Bones.”

“David George McCoy.”

Jim looks up stunned.

“Bones.”

“I haven’t forgiven you, but you make Jo happy.  So…”

“Thanks Bones.”

“Shit!” 

“Jo.”

They both snap back to her.  

“I think I just wet the bed.”  She grimaces.

Bones pulls out his tricorder.  It whirls and hums.

“Daddy?”

Bones looks up, there is a wide smile on his face.

“This is it, kiddo.  Time to meet these little darlins.”


	27. Chapter 24

“I hate everything!”  Jo roars.

“Come on baby girl push.”

“Push, Jo honey.”

“I am pushing!”  Jo screams. “God damn Kirks and their big heads!”  She collapses against the back of the chair.

Her face is red and sweaty.  Jim kisses his wife and looks helplessly at Chapel who is seated between Jo’s legs.  Bones is standing on the other side.  Jim can tell he’s fighting to not let his doctor side come out and only play the role of the concerned father/grandfather.

Jocelyn hasn’t arrived yet, and the room already feels too crowded.

“Jo, the head is right there.  Just one more good push and she’ll be out, sweetheart.”

Jo shakes her head.  She tightens her grip on Jim’s hand.  

“Cut her out.  Pull her out. Transport her out.  I don’t care.” Jo babbles. 

“Yes, you do, Joanna Honey Kirk.”  

Jim knows how much this means to his wife.  The only reason they are even in the hospital is because it is twins.  

“No!”  Jo breaks into messy tears.  She’s screaming, sobbing, and her pulse spikes when her next contraction hits.  Jim can tell she’s in no position to push. 

He knows with today’s technology, it could be over in minutes.  Chapel could easily cut the babies out, but he also knows Jo would regret it. 

She wants this experience.   

So he does the only thing that comes to mind.  He kisses her. He kisses her long and hard. He feels her relax against his lips.  He feels her tears recede before he pulls away.

“You can Jo Honey.  You can bring our baby girls into this world.  Because you’re Joanna Kirk, because you’re the strongest woman I know in this world.”

Jo scoffs.  “Right.”

“You are.  She’s right there, see.”  Chapel has pulled out a mirror.  Between Jo’s angry, bulging red lips the shiver of black baby fuzz can be seen peeking out into the world.

Jo gasps.

“See, she’s right there.”

Jo nods.

She cradles her swollen heavily distended belly and looks down at Chapel, then at Bones, and finally at Jim. 

“Let’s do this.”

  
XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

Leia Jasmine Kirk is born at 11:59pm on the dot kicking and screaming into the world.  All four kilos and twenty one centimeters of her. Her mama is a mess of tears as she pulls her to her chest.  She collapses against the biobed exhausted and spent.

Baby Leia looks up at her parents with her piercing blue eyes.  

“She has your eyes.”  

“And your nose,” Jim responds back.  He watches in aware at how easily his baby girl latches on to Jo’s exposed nipple.

“She’s beautiful.”  Bones whispers. He too is completely besot by his tiny granddaughter. 

The little girl blinks up at them.  The tiny family laughs.

“Would you like to cut the cord, Jim?”  Chapel startles them from their little world.  She has a pair of scissors in her hands. The cord is already clamped.

Jo smiles at him.  He nods and takes the scissors.  He places it against the almost rubbery cord and cuts, severing the nine months long link between mother and child.  Now, he looks back at Jo who is still completely infatuated by their daughter, who they will raise together.

They will protect her together.

When a nurse comes to take Leia away to get checked, Jim feels a sense of panic.  He sees the same panic on Jo’s eyes. Like someone has just ripped away a limb. It is a feeling he has never felt before.

He wonders if this is what it’s like to be a father.

_A father…_

He’s a dad now.

Jo squeezes his hand. He looks down at his wife.  She smiles at him.

“You did so good.” 

“Thanks,”  she grimaces, and they are both reminded there is another baby.  Jim rests his hand on Jo’s still swollen abdomen where their second little one resides.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

“Ahhh!”  Jo screams an hour later.  An hour since Leia was born.  She’s been fed, burped, bathed, medically examined and is now fast asleep in her tiny bassinet in the corner of the room completely oblivious to everything going around.

Even though just an hour ago he had seen this same miracle, the miracle of Leia emerging from Jo, it doesn’t make the second time less amazing.   Like her twin sister, little Maya Rose Kirk emerges kicking and screaming.

Jo cries as Chapel places the screaming infant on her now deflated abdomen.  

As if Leia knows, she cries too.

A nurse brings the crying infant to her parents.  As if the girls know, their cries dispel each other.  Jo looks over at Jim, a smile on her face.

“They’re perfect.”

“Perfect,” Jim repeats.  He smiles down at his tiny family, his beautiful wife and two daughters.  The girls let out sleepily yawns.

Jo smiles.

And he decides…

Everything is perfect.


	28. Epilogue

Three years on…

“Daddy!”

“Daddy!” 

Jim smiles as two identical balls of energy collide with each one of his legs.  He draws up each one and plants large kisses on their faces. “How are my favorite little princesses?”

The girls giggle.

Jim kicks close the door and maneuvers into the living room.  The girls’ massive collection of toys and coloring books are thrown around the room.

The girls are like a pair of hurricanes.  No matter how much they try to keep the house clean, it always seems to turn into a disaster zone seconds later.  

He sets the girls down at the table where David is coloring.

The little boy grins up at him.  He ruffles the boy’s curly blond hair.  “Hey bud.”

“Hi.”  Unlike his girls, David has always been on the shy side.  

“What are you guys doing?”

“Drawing!”  Leia throws herself over Jim’s shoulder.  

“Shh!”  Maya presses her finger to her lips.  “Mama says so.” She whispers sagely. 

It’s then Jim realizes Jo isn’t anywhere in sight.  It worries him a bit.

“Where is your mama?” 

“Mama is throwing up,” Leia, the more talkative one, declares.  

Jim frowns.  Jo had been away last week on a mission.  He hopes she hasn’t picked up something.

“All day.  She saying bad words.”  Maya adds. She wriggles her nose.  

“Like Granpy Bones.”

Jim can’t believe his kids actually call Bones that.  He knows that Bones has been trying to get them to stop without any success.  The girls are as stubborn as their parents are.

“Daddy, draw?”  Maya thrusts up a handful of crayons.  Crayons that half of the time do not end up on the coloring books.  He kisses each girls’ cheeks and ruffles David’s unruly hair before standing up.  His knees creak, another symptom of getting older.

“Maybe later.  Daddy’s going to see Mama.”

“K.”  He watches as the girls return to their coloring before walking down the hall to his and Jo’s bedroom.

“Jo honey?”  He calls.

He steps inside.  He doesn’t see her, but he hears her.

She’s in the bathroom hunched over the toilet bowl.  She looks pale.

“Jo?”  

She looks up, pulls on a smile, and waves.

“In a second.”  She stands up, flushes the toilet before drawing him into a hug.

Although she smells like vomit, Jim thinks she’s the most beautiful person in the universe.  She seems to be glowing. 

“Jo?” 

“I’m pregnant.”  She whispers.

He pulls away.  She’s grinning.

Unlike all those years ago, this time Jim smiles.  “Really.” His eyes sparkle with happiness.

She nods.  Her hand rests on her abdomen.  

“You think it’ll be a boy this time?”

“Maybe. The odds are in our favor.”

Jim raises his eyebrow.

“It’s triplets.” 

And… 

Jim faints.

He comes to from the sound of Leia’s voice.  “Why is Daddy sleeping on the floor?” 

“Because Daddy is silly.”

He blinks, the forms of his wife and daughters come into view.

His memory comes back when he notices Jo has her hand on her abdomen, which will soon swell with new life.  

He remembers.

“Triplets,” he mouths as his daughters climb on his lap.  

Jo nods.  

And Jim decides as he cuddles his girls, that even if it’s three girls it’d be okay.

Because this is his family.

His no longer small family, and he loves them all.  
  
_FIN_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With that this story draws to a close.
> 
> I want to thank everyone who read and left wonderful comments along the way. I hope you all enjoyed this story as much as I had writing it. I never thought I would be writing a Jo and Jim romance fic, but I’m so glad I did. It was definitely fun. And maybe someday I will come back to this growing family.
> 
> Thanks again and until next time. ^.^


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